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Prescription Drug Overdose Lawsuit

At least one point during our lifetime, most of us will rely on medications of some sort. Whether these are over-the-counter drugs or prescription medications, and whether we are treating a life-threatening illness or a minor and temporary ailment, medications are what we rely on to alleviate symptoms or to get rid of the problem all together.

Were you or a loved one harmed as a result of an overdose of prescribed medications? If so, contact a medical malpractice attorney in your local area today to discuss your legal options.

Consequences of suffering from a prescription drug overdose may include:

• Brain damage
• Damage to vital internal organs
• Seizures
• Coma
• Death

Medication errors and prescription mistakes result in more than one million injuries and fatalities throughout the country annually. These tragic injuries could have easily been avoided, but unfortunately, were the direct result of a pharmacist, nurse, hospital worker, doctor, or other medical professional being negligent and careless somewhere along the way.

Examples of prescription drug malpractice may include, but not limited to:

• Neglecting to check for harmful interactions with other medications the patient takes
• Confusing medications that look similar
• Dispensing the incorrect dosage of medication
• Dispensing the incorrect drug
• Dispensing the incorrect strength of medication
• Failing to obtain an accurate medical and pharmaceutical history from the patient
• Failing to provide sufficient information or directions regarding use of the drug, or providing the wrong information
• Failure to indentify medication allergies
• Giving wrong directions or information
• Improper drug labeling
• Improper drug packaging
• Miscommunications between physicians and pharmacist
• Misunderstanding illegibly written prescription directions
• Overworked pharmacists making errors
• Pressure from employers to fill prescriptions as fast as possible, thus sacrificing safety for speed
• Depending on pharmacy technicians and assistants
• Physician errors
• Hospital errors

Have you or a loved one suffered injury, illiness or any complications due to an overdose of prescribed medications? You may be entitled to monetary compensation in a medical malpractice case. Contact a medical malpractice lawyer in your local area for legal help today.

Did you know?
Although medication and prescription errors are an avoidable issue, not enough is done to avoid these mistakes. Simple, but necessary precautions that should be taken—such as thoroughly checking prescriptions and clearly writing medication directions—are precautions that are sometimes not followed by many medical providers and hospitals.  As a result of this negligent and reckless behavior, thousands of individuals throughout the country sustain severe injuries each year, and many patients die as a result of these errors.