Illinois Medical Malpractice: Did a Medication Error Result in The Death of Your Loved One?

 Posted on August 30, 2021 in Medical Malpractice

Every day, people across the country are being provided medications by licensed physicians. Unfortunately, sometimes these medications are incorrect. In some cases, the wrong type of medication is provided, while in other cases, the doctor provides an incorrect dosage or makes other dangerous mistakes. Medication errors arise from a variety of situations and consequences suffered by the patient can range from harmless to fatal. If you or a loved one’s injury or illness was caused by a medication error arising from a medical professional’s negligence,a medication injury attorney can help you understand your legal options.

Common Causes of Medication Errors

Healthcare professionals regularly prescribe and administer medications to their patients. Patients who suffer from medical problems, both minor and severe, often depend on these medications to be comfortable. When medical professionals fail to consider the numerous factors involved in properly prescribing and administering these drugs, the patient can suffer serious and possibly fatal harm. 

There are some medication errors that occur more frequently than others, including:

• Giving a patient the wrong medication

• Giving a patient the wrong dosage of the medication

• Prescribing a medication to a patient which negatively interacts with their other medications

• Prescribing a medication to a patient which they are allergic to

• Neglecting to properly warn the patient of the side effects commonly seen with a medication

• Mislabeling the medication

Why these mistakes occur is a difficult question to answer. Distractions are a significant factor in medication errors, as physicians often are getting pulled in several directions at once and may incorrectly write names and dosages for medications. Additionally, poor communication between a patient and their doctor, among multiple doctors, and between the pharmacy and a doctor can also lead to medication errors. Previously, illegible handwriting has also played a role in medication mistakes being made, however, now much of this information is typed instead. 

Medication Error Consequences

Any one of the mentioned missteps can lead to patients facing hospitalization, life-threatening medical conditions, disability, birth defects, and even death. 

There may be many parties involved when trying to determine who is responsible for an injury or fatality sustained from a medication error. To establish liability, one must consider all of the individuals involved in the chain of prescribing and administering the drugs, including--but not limited to--physicians, nurses, medical facilities, and pharmacies. 

Some examples of when physicians and other healthcare providers may be held accountable for medication errors include the administration or prescription of incorrect medication as well as the negligence to provide accurate instructions for taking medications.

Victims who suffer from medication errors will need to establish the physician’s negligence in order to prove that the injuries were due to malpractice. To pursue this type of medical malpractice claim, a medical malpractice lawyer may work with an expert in the physician’s specific medical field who can effectively support their case.

Contact Our Rockford Medical Malpractice Attorney Today

When medication errors occur, patients often suffer the worst of the consequences. Patients who are seriously harmed or individuals who have lost loved ones as a result of medical drug errors should know what options are available to recover damages and hold the appropriate parties responsible. Contact Mannarino & Brasfield, A Division of Schwartz Injury Law today to connect with an experienced Winnebago County medical malpractice attorney. Call 815-215-7561 to schedule your free consultation. 

Sources: 

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/22/medical-errors-third-leading-cause-of-death-in-america.html