| Futterman, Sirotkin & Seinfeld, LLP

Manhattan real estate market sees changes

On behalf of Futterman, Sirotkin & Seinfeld, LLP posted in Real Estate on Wednesday, October 9, 2019.

People in the greater New York City area who have been watching the residential real estate market with an eye to buy may well be pleased to learn about some of the changes reported recently about the market in Manhattan. Known to be a very expensive area in which to live, it seems that some level of increased value may be experienced by buyers, at least based on the statistics from the most recent quarter.

According to data reported by Cocoran Inhabit, the third quarter of 2019 saw both the average and the median home price in Manhattan drop. The average home price reduced by 13% to just above $1.65 million, its lowest point since 2014 while the median purchase price reduced by 8% to just over $1 million. Along with these drops, the price per a home's square foot also experienced a decline last quarter.

Homebuyers see new drop in lending rates

On behalf of Futterman, Sirotkin & Seinfeld, LLP posted in Failure to Diagnose on Wednesday, October 9, 2019.

All across the state of New York and certainly within the metropolitan New York City area, many residents who have wanted to buy their own homes have had to postpone making such a move because of the costs associated with the purchase of a property. One of these costs is the asking price of any home which has been increasing, although the prices of new and resold homes has levelled a bit recently.

Another factor that may have been a roadblock for many would-be homebuyers was the cost of borrowing the money needed to finance a home purchase. Interest rates have been lower than in some past years but still can add up quickly, especially when purchase prices remain high. That makes a new move in the lending interest rate world highly important for many consumers.

What causes errors in emergency room electronic health records?

On behalf of Futterman, Sirotkin & Seinfeld, LLP posted in Failure to Diagnose on Friday, October 4, 2019.

When you visit a hospital emergency room in Queens, New York or anywhere in the greater metropolitan area, it is usually due to an acute medical condition that cannot wait until you are able to get an appointment to see your regular doctor. Therefore, it is imperative that everything is accurately documented so that you can get the right care and proper follow-up. Sometimes there are mistakes in ER electronic records that can lead to the wrong treatment or even death. What causes these errors to occur?

According to Forbes magazine, there has been a dramatic increase in hospitals switching over to an electronic health records (EHR) system, with 98 percent of hospitals using such technology in 2019 compared to just 9 percent in 2008. Unfortunately, this modification in notation systems has not been problem-free, with 21 percent of patients stating that they have found errors in their own records.

Anesthesia errors in the operating room

On behalf of Futterman, Sirotkin & Seinfeld, LLP posted in Surgical Errors on Wednesday, October 2, 2019.

When patients are wheeled into the operating room, they place their lives in the hands of trusted surgical professionals. In addition to ensuring the right procedure is performed on the correct patient and confirming that no surgical instruments are left behind in the operating site, it is critical to make sure the patient is given the right anesthesia. Anesthesia errors can lead to permanent injuries, long-term complications and death. Patients may wake up in a paralyzed state during the operation or may fail to wake up once the procedure is finished if they are given the wrong dose of anesthesia.

Each patient responds differently to anesthesia, and as a result, should be monitored closely throughout the surgical procedure. Among other factors, the dose of medicine given is dependent on the patient’s weight. If the wrong weight is noted, the patient may be given the wrong dose of anesthesia. Furthermore, the anesthesiologist is responsible for watching patient vital signs and adjusting the dose of anesthesia if necessary. If the wrong amount of medication is given, patients have been known to wake-up while they are still being operated on.

What is broken heart syndrome?

On behalf of Futterman, Sirotkin & Seinfeld, LLP posted in Hospital Negligence on Tuesday, October 1, 2019.

People sometimes joke about dying of a broken heart, but you may be surprised to learn that the term might not be as far from the truth as you think. Broken heart syndrome, a little-known term to describe symptoms that resemble a heart attack, can create confusion and, occasionally, medical complications for New York residents.

According to the Mayo Clinic, broken heart syndrome can be caused by an intensely stressful or emotional situation, or it can follow surgery or a serious illness. Some drugs, including those for severe allergic reactions, asthma or nerve problems associated with diabetes, can also trigger broken heart syndrome. Also known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy, stress cardiomyopathy or apical ballooning syndrome, medical professionals believe the condition is caused by a flood of stress hormones throughout the body, which can temporarily disrupt the heart’s normal pumping. If you develop the sudden chest pain or shortness of breath that are symptoms of broken heart syndrome, you may think you are experiencing a heart attack.

Transitioning to a nursing home; tips for positive adjustment

On behalf of Futterman, Sirotkin & Seinfeld, LLP posted in Nursing Home Neglect on Monday, September 30, 2019.

Nursing home facilities in New York can provide many valuable benefits to families of individuals who are slowly losing the ability to care for themselves. There are also significant advantages for aging individuals who wish to remain part of a social circle, but acknowledge that their independence is fading. The initial transition into a nursing home can be difficult for families, but with the right approach and outlook, it can be a positive adjustment with rewarding outcomes.

According to Shield Health Care, some of the ways that people can assess if it is time for their loved one to enter a nursing home facility include the following:

Their loved one is having difficulty remembering things, particularly related to their health and wellness.
Their personal relationships as a caregiver are strained because of the needs of their elderly loved one.
Their loved one is struggling to maintain his or her home, can no longer drive and requires significant help with daily tasks.
Their loved one has a worsening disability that is starting to threaten the safety and wellbeing of other family members in the home.

The consequences of a brain injury during pregnancy

On behalf of Futterman, Sirotkin & Seinfeld, LLP posted in Birth Injuries on Sunday, September 29, 2019.

Brain injuries can be extremely concerning for anyone, but some people, such as pregnant women, are especially vulnerable when it comes to brain trauma. In some instances, brain injuries may threaten the mother's life, as well as the life of an unborn child, and this can be a very upsetting issue for the whole family. To make things worse, many of these injuries occurred as a direct result of negligence due to a careless physician or medical professional and never should have happened in the first place.

Brain trauma can occur prior to the birthing process, during labor or after a woman has given birth. Sometimes, these injuries are not related to medical care, such as motor vehicle wrecks and slip and fall accidents. However, the negligent actions of a medical professional may directly cause a pregnant woman to sustain a brain injury, and it is critical for women and families who are facing these crises to immediately review the options that are on the table with respect to the mother's health and the well-being of the fetus.

Doctors make thousands of surgery errors every year

On behalf of Futterman, Sirotkin & Seinfeld, LLP posted in Surgical Errors on Friday, September 27, 2019.

New Yorkers in the hospital often worry about becoming a victim of medical errors and with good reason. CNN Health estimates that medical errors may be the third-leading cause of death in America. Surgical errors account for a large portion of this and may be the most frightening.

One of the most terrifying experiences occurs when people do not receive an adequate dose of anesthesia. They may then wake up during the surgery. Called anesthesia awareness, the phenomenon keeps muscles frozen while the person’s brain stays awake. It happens to one in 1,000 patients. Some patients report feeling pain, while others do not.

Forceps delivery may cause birth injuries

On behalf of Futterman, Sirotkin & Seinfeld, LLP posted in Birth Injuries on Thursday, September 26, 2019.

Over the past few years, horror stories related to forceps delivery floated around the news. It comes as no surprise then that women in New York may fear ever needing one to deliver their baby. According to Mayo Clinic, as a type of assisted vaginal delivery, it sometimes becomes necessary if the labor does not progress smoothly. Doctors may also recommend forceps delivery if the baby’s safety requires an immediate delivery.

The process involves using an instrument resembling salad tongs to help guide the baby through the birth canal. Even though there are instances where forceps delivery may seem like the safest available option to protect a newborn, it does involve risks. In the event that a forceps delivery fails, then doctors may recommend a caesarian section instead.

Existing technology in hospitals may decrease prescription errors

On behalf of Futterman, Sirotkin & Seinfeld, LLP posted in Failure to Diagnose on Monday, September 23, 2019.

Patients in New York often worry about medication errors and what may happen if they are ever a victim. Medication errors can lead to accidental overdose, which can be fatal. What is perhaps most terrifying about this type of medical mistake is that it is on the rise.

According to the non-profit organization AARP, as of 2017, medication errors doubled. Incidents included professionals prescribing the wrong medications or administering the wrong combinations or doses. Patients themselves also sometimes made mistakes when they had multiple medications to keep track of.

Queens New York Legal Blog