January, 2016 - Braunfotel and Frendel

What types of drug courts are there in New York?

Residents of New City who find themselves facing drug charges may not know that there may be an alternative to traditional courts in such situations - drug courts. In a drug court, an individual may receive a reduced sentence in exchange for voluntarily going through a court-supervised drug treatment program. New York State is a leader in the drug court movement, with 141 drug courts currently operating in the state as of January 2016.What types of drug courts are available in New York? First of all, there are criminal drug courts. Sometimes individuals face drug charges when they are addicted to drugs - an addiction which allegedly played a role in the alleged crime. Individuals in these situations may be given the option to go through a criminal drug treatment [...]

What types of drug courts are there in New York?james2016-01-29T00:00:00+00:00

Dangers of trenching and excavation projects

New York jobs involving trenching can be extremely dangerous in spite of the best safety precautions. One of the most serious hazards is that of a cave-in, but the activity in a confined space can also expose a worker to breathing dangers such as inhaling toxic materials, being asphyxiated, or drowning. There is also the risk of workers coming into contact with utility lines, which could lead to explosions or electrocution.Protective measures are particularly important for minimizing the risk of work-related injuries on trenching jobs. Protective systems that are consistent with OSHA standards are important, and planning is crucial. It is necessary to make contact with utility companies to ensure that the locations of underground pipes and lines are identified in advance of any digging. It is also necessary to [...]

Dangers of trenching and excavation projectsjames2016-01-27T00:00:00+00:00

What are the elements of first-degree arson in New York?

Individuals in New York City may have heard of the crime of arson, but may not know exactly what it means. In fact, whether an incident can be considered arson depends on the specific facts of the situation, and how the law applies to those facts. Moreover, there are various degrees of arson an individual in New York can be accused of. Today, we are going to look at first-degree arson.In New York, an individual can be accused of first-degree arson if that person allegedly causes intentional damage to a building by causing a fire or an explosion. That fire or explosion must have been caused by an incendiary device" that has been propelled or put in or nearby the building in question. AlsoArson is a serious crime with the [...]

What are the elements of first-degree arson in New York?james2016-01-20T00:00:00+00:00

Brain death policies inconsistent among hospitals

Declaring a patient to be brain dead can be a difficult decision for a New York doctor. Ideally, great care should go into the decision because the resulting actions such as removing life support are expected to result in death. An error could lead to the death of someone who might have survived, and a 100 percent accuracy rate is desirable for declarations of brain death. Unfortunately, studies indicate that the procedures in many hospitals deviate from those prescribed by the American Academy of Neurology.The AAN implemented its parameters for diagnosing brain death in 2010. However, compliance falls short of the 100 percent desired. Of 492 hospitals evaluated during a recent study, more than 40 percent allowed for the diagnosis of brain death by an attending physician, which is contrary [...]

Brain death policies inconsistent among hospitalsjames2016-01-18T00:00:00+00:00

Improper breath test calibration can yield faulty results

If people are stopped on suspicion of driving under the influence in New York, it is entirely possible that the police may ask them to submit to a breath test. However, these tests are not infallible. In fact, an improperly calibrated breath test instrument or the improper use of such an instrument can lead to a faulty reading.New City residents may be interested in learning more about how a breath test instrument must be calibrated. It is important to understand that the laws regarding breath test calibration vary by state, so it may be necessary to seek legal advice if people believe a breath test they submitted to yielded an improper reading due to an improperly calibrated instrument.In general, however, there are some guidelines police must follow when administering a [...]

Improper breath test calibration can yield faulty resultsjames2016-01-13T00:00:00+00:00

Research compares approaches to reducing surgical errors

New York residents who undergo surgical procedures may be safer in the coming years thanks to a study conducted over four years by a team from Oxford University in England. The goal of the study was to determine which of the two most prevalent strategies for reducing operating room errors worked best, but they found that neither of them on their own was as effective as a combined approach. The research team from the august institution's Department of Surgical Sciences published their findings in the journal Annals of Surgery.Hospitals have generally tried to reduce the number of surgical errors by focusing on either improving the communication between and teamwork of operating room staff or refining the systems used and procedures followed during surgeries. Improving team interaction has yielded positive results [...]

Research compares approaches to reducing surgical errorsjames2016-01-11T00:00:00+00:00

Man faces multiple drunk driving charges after wrong-way drive

Law enforcement in New York is constantly on the lookout for drivers who might be operating their vehicles under the influence. When a person is charged with DWI, there are numerous problems that the accused drunk driver will face. These include possible jail time, hefty fines and the loss of driving privileges among many other penalties. This is why when a driver is arrested, he or she needs to know how to formulate a strong defense regardless of the circumstances.A man is accused of driving the wrong way in the Holland Tunnel and then attempting to evade law enforcement when they sought to stop him. The 29-year-old man now faces multiple offenses including DWI, fleeing police, driving recklessly and reckless endangerment. The investigation claims that the man entered the tunnel [...]

Man faces multiple drunk driving charges after wrong-way drivejames2016-01-08T00:00:00+00:00

Tips to reduce medication errors in New York

A medication error could lead to serious injury or death to a patient. However, several changes can be made to reduce the odds of a mistake happening. For instance, a name alert could be used to differentiate between patients who have similar last names like Johnson and Johnston. Another step that can be taken is to add a zero in front of decimal points.The use of the zero would clarify that a patient should receive 0.25 milligrams of a certain medication as opposed to 25 milligrams. Proper documentation in general can also reduce the number of medication errors and adverse outcomes for patients. This may avoid a situation where a bottle is incorrectly labeled and the patient gets the wrong medication or vice versa. Labels should also be read to [...]

Tips to reduce medication errors in New Yorkjames2016-01-05T00:00:00+00:00

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