What Is a Medication Error?
Medication errors occur when a physician administers the wrong medication, an incorrect dosage, or administers medication through the wrong route or when a pharmacy dispenses the wrong medication. Almost 2 million Americans suffer from medication errors stemming from medical malpractice every year. The FDA receives more than 100,000 U.S. reports each year associated with a suspected medication error. Even when medication errors are not fatal, they can result in serious catastrophic injuries. The FDA lists the most serious harmful effects that can occur from medication errors as:
- Death
- Life threatening situations
- Hospitalization
- Disability (including possible paralysis)
- Birth defect
How Do Medication Errors Occur?
According to the CDC, 82 percent of American adults take at least one medication and more than 25 percent take five or more. The most common types of medication errors can include:
- Prescribing the wrong medication
- Administering the wrong dosage of a medication
- Administering the wrong medication
- Prescribing or dispensing a medication that is contraindicated, given the other medications the patient takes
Medical errors resulting from a physician's or pharmacist's carelessness can have devastating results for patients and their families. Our military medical malpractice attorneys work to provide victims of military medical malpractice recourse for their suffering while using litigation as a tool to promote policy changes that prevent similar mistakes from happening in the future.
What Makes a Meritorious Medication Error Lawsuit?
In order to bring a successful malpractice claim or case, the claimant must prove that the health care provider acted negligently and that this negligence caused an injury and damage. Proving a case requires obtaining and reviewing medical records in conjunction with experts and then presenting the claim, with supporting evidence.
Lawyers specializing in medication error lawsuits have the knowledge and expertise to find the mistakes made by physicians or pharmacists, gather expert witnesses, and hold negotiations for a settlement in your favor.
Recovering Damages In a Medication Error Lawsuit
Those who suffer a medication error as a result of medical negligence have the right to recover for both their economic and emotional damages. With a medication error lawsuit, you may be able to recover for:
- Past and future medical costs, including additional medical bills resulting from a worsened condition or prolonged hospital stay
- Costs for additional treatments
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages
- Other damages