Queens New York Legal Blog

New York State was once home to one of the largest private cancer practices in the region at CCS Oncology. After a string of legal troubles over the last two years, including a bankruptcy filing and an FBI raid, the former president and CEO of the facility, also a radiation oncologist, now faces charges from the state Health Department, alleging incompetence and gross negligence in his treatment of seven patients. Of those seven patients, six are now dead.

The physician's specialty involves treating cancer through exposure to ionizing radiation. The state alleges that, between 2009 and 2013, he repeatedly practiced gross negligence in the treatment of seven particular patients. The charges he faces include prescribing excessive radiation treatments without considering alternatives, unnecessary radiation treatments that exceeded appropriate tissue tolerances and six weeks of radiation therapy performed counter to medical indications. The state also accused the physician of failing to maintain records in addition to negligence and incompetence.

As you are preparing to give birth to your baby in New York, much anticipation and excitement lay ahead as you tend to the last-minute details for planning your birthing experience and getting the nursery ready. At Futterman Sirotkin & Seinfeld, LLP, we have helped many families defend and protect their children who may have received an injury during childbirth. 

While a majority of births may appear to be executed without any noticeable trouble, you should always be aware of the reality that injuries could occur to your baby so you can be prepared to circumvent any hazards that you can control before they become dangerous. For a start, you should take your time to select an OB-GYN and hospital where you are familiar with the people who will be assisting with your birth. You will also benefit from making a detailed birthing plan and discussing it with your health care provider before your due date. Once you arrive at the location where you will be giving birth, it is imperative that you rely on your best judgment and continue to ask any questions that you may have if you are ever doubtful about a doctor's course of action. 

You probably go to a New York hospital to get better. You expect to go in, get well and leave. For some people, though, this is not the case. They go in and get sicker or experience complications due to the environment. Forbes explains that hospitals have various ways they can actually make you worse than you were when you came in.

One way a hospital may harm you is through exposing you to germs. You may think that a hospital is a sterile environment, but that is far from the case. While workers do try to keep the hospital clean, the reality is that people who come into the hospital are sick. They bring germs with them. If the staff does not follow proper protocols, germs get spread from one person to another.

Selecting a nursing home in New York is often no easy process for families who are concerned about the wellbeing and care of their elderly family member. Often, many families pour hours into comparing their options and visiting facilities to determine which one is the best fit. Unfortunately, there are situations where nursing homes are negligent in the way they care for their residents and as a result, put the safety of their residents in harm's way. 

A VA nursing home in Boston, Massachusetts is facing backlash and legal consequences after investigators found visible signs that staff members were neglecting and ignoring the needs and safety of their patients. They were initially under scrutiny after receiving so many poor ratings that they quickly became one of the lowest rated VA nursing homes in the entire country. Despite knowing that an investigation was likely coming to address the poor ratings, no effort was made to remedy any of the issues that people had recognized.