Odnoralov v. Weiner

2024 NY Slip Op 32831(U)
CourtNew York Supreme Court, New York County
DecidedAugust 12, 2024
DocketIndex No. 805088/2018
StatusUnpublished

This text of 2024 NY Slip Op 32831(U) (Odnoralov v. Weiner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court, New York County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Odnoralov v. Weiner, 2024 NY Slip Op 32831(U) (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2024).

Opinion

Odnoralov v Weiner 2024 NY Slip Op 32831(U) August 12, 2024 Supreme Court, New York County Docket Number: Index No. 805088/2018 Judge: Judith N. McMahon Cases posted with a "30000" identifier, i.e., 2013 NY Slip Op 30001(U), are republished from various New York State and local government sources, including the New York State Unified Court System's eCourts Service. This opinion is uncorrected and not selected for official publication. INDEX NO. 805088/2018 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 150 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 08/12/2024

SUPREM E COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK NEW YORK COUNTY PRESENT: HON. JUDITH N. MCMAHON PART 30M Justice ---------- ----------------------------------------------------X INDEX NO. 805088/2018 ALEXANDR A ODNORALO V, BRIAN DORFMANN , ALEXANDR A ODNORALO V, MOTION DATE 07/23/2024

Plaintiff, MOTION SEQ. NO. - -001-002 --003--1

- V- LON WEINER, RYAN SUPLEE, SYED SAYEED1, DECISION + ORDER ON HERBERT COOPER, LENOX HILL HOSPITAL MOTION Defendant. - - - -- --------------- ----------- ------------------X

The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 001) 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61 , 62,63, 64,65,66,6 7,68,69, 70, 71, 72,117,118 ,119,120,1 21,122,123 ,124, 125,126,12 7, 128, 129, 130, 131 , 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 139, 140 were read on this motion to/for JUDGMENT- SUMMARY The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 002) 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89,137,143 ,144 were read on this motion to/for JUDGMENT - SUMMARY The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 003) 90, 91 , 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98 , 99, 100, 101 ,1 02, 103, 104, 105, 106,107,10 8, 109,110,11 1 , 112,113,11 4,115,138, 141 , 142 were read on this motion to/for JUDGMENT-SUMMARY Upon the foregoing documents, the motion for swnmary judgment of the defendant

Herbert J. Cooper, M.D. (Motion Seq. No. 001) is granted, and the complaint and all cross

claims against Dr. Cooper are severed and dismissed. The motions for summary judgment of the

defendant Lenox Hill Hospital (hereinafter "LHH") (Motion Seq. No. 002) and Lon S. Weiner,

M.D. (Motion Seq. No. 003) are granted to the extent that plaintiffs ··Second" ·'Third" and

"Fourth" causes of action are severed and dismissed as unopposed, and the balance of the

A so-ordered Stipulation of Partial Discontinuance was executed in favor of plastic surgeon, Syed M. Sayeed, M.D., on May 18, 2023 (see NYSCEF Doc. No. 55). 805088/2018 ODNORALOV, ALEXANDRA vs. WEINER, M.D., LONS. Page 1 of 12 Motion No. 001 002 003

1 of 12 [* 1] INDEX NO. 805088/2018 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 150 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 08/12/2024

motions is denied. LHH is a defendant in this case only to the extent of its vicarious liability for

the alleged negligent conduct of its employees, including vascular surgeon Ryan S. Suplee,

M.D. 2

This medical malpractice and wrongful death action arises out of defendants' alleged

failure to provide proper veinous thromboembolism care and treatment to plaintiff's decedent,

53-year-old Brian Dorfmann, during his hospitalization at LHH from April 5, 2016, until April

16,2016.

It appears undisputed that in the early morning hours of April 5, 2016, Mr. Dorfmann,

who fell in the vestibule of his apartment building, sustained a comminuted fracture of his right

tibial plateau that was so severe it caused vascular injury to the popliteal artery, resulting in

ischemia and lack of blood flow to the right leg. At I 0:30 a.m. Mr. Dorfmann underwent

emergency orthopedic surgery (external fixation) performed by Dr. Cooper to stabilize the leg,

while the attending vascular surgeon, Dr. Suplee, concurrently performed a resection of the right

popliteal artery to reconstruct the arterial blood flow. The procedure ended at 4:36 p.m. and Mr.

Dorfmann was transferred to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit ("SICU") under the service of Dr.

Suplee/vascular surgery. A deep vein thrombosis ("DVT") prophylaxis plan was devised by Dr.

Suplee and the critical care/intensivist, Dr. Bushra Minna, following the surgery.

Mr. Dorfmann remained in the SICU for approximately one week, during which he was

given 5,000 milligrams of subcutaneous heparin every eight hours. He was provided with a

sequential compression device and aspirin, as additional DVT prophylaxis. A bilateral Duplex

venous lower extremity ultrasound was performed on April 9, 2016, that revealed no DVTs

above the knees. On April 11, 2016, Mr. Dorfmann was discharged from SICU to a Stepdown

A so-ordered Stipulation of Discontinuance was executed in favor of Dr. Suplee (see NYSCEF Doc. No. 147)

805088/2018 ODNORALOV, ALEXANDRA vs. WEINER, M.D., LON$. Page 2 of 12 Motion No. 001 002 003

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Unit. Dr. Suplee's note dated April 11, 2016, states: "[The patient] will transfer to the orthopedic

service under Dr. Weiner for a planned open reduction internal fixation, to be performed later in

the week." Dr. Mina cleared decedent for the second orthopedic procedure on April 14, 2016,

and the surgery was performed without complication on April 15, 2016. Mr. Dorfmann suffered

a fatal cardiac arrest caused by a massive saddle pulmonary embolism ("PE") upon his return

from a CT angiogram on the evening of April 16, 2016.

Defendants move for judgment dismissing the complaint on the grounds that decedent's

care and treatment was always within the applicable standard of care and was not a proximate

cause of his injuries and death. Plaintiff opposes the motions, maintaining that had decedent been

timely and properly worked up for his tachycardia and/or fevers, a prompt administration of

therapeutic anticoagulants and/or other treatments would have been available that would have

prevented the massive PE and resulting cardiac arrest and premature death.

PERTINENT CHRONOLOGY AFTER APRIL 5, 2016, SURGERY

On April 7, 2016, Dr. Suplee noted that decedent had a fever the previous afternoon as

well as one on the morning of April 71\ reaching 102. White blood cell count was normal, and

the etiology of the fever was unclear.

On April 8, 2016, decedent was observed with persistent fevers and a swollen right lower

calf. The closure of the fasciotomy of the right calf had to be cancelled and a wound vacuum was

placed instead. It was noted that Mr. Dorfmann would require skin graft in the future.

On April 9, 2016, decedent's heart rate was elevated between 94 and 112 bpm, and his

temperature fluctuated between 100.l to 103 degrees. A chest x-ray was negative for infection or

abnormalities, and a bilateral Duplex ultrasound of the lower extremities ordered by Dr. Suplee

was unremarkable for clots and the common femoral, femoral, popliteal, proximal greater

805088/2018 ODNORALOV, ALEXANDRA vs. WEINER, M.D., LONS. Page 3 of 12 Motion No. 001 002 003

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' saphenous and proximal deep femoral veins were patent and free of thrombus bilaterally. This

study was "limited" due to hardware in the right lower leg, but the major veins above the knee

were appropriately evaluated.

On April 10 th decedent's fever had resolved, but his right lower extremity was positive

for edema.

On April 11 th a decision was made to transfer decedent to the orthopedic stepdown

service, to Dr. Weiner for open reduction and internal fixation.

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