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If you or one of your family members became ill or suffered an injury due to a medication error, such as receiving the wrong prescription drug from your doctor or pharmacist, you should know that you have legal options. Exercising your rights under Texas law, you may be able to file a lawsuit against your doctor, your pharmacy, or other parties who were involved in prescribing or dispensing the medication that harmed you.
At The Queenan Law Firm, P.C., we are dedicated advocates for justice who represent patients against negligent doctors, pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, and drug manufacturers. If you, your spouse, or one of your family members suffered an injury or illness due to a medication error, Dallas wrong prescription lawyer Kevin Queenan is here to fight for you. For a free legal consultation, contact The Queenan Law Firm online, or call (817) 476-1797 for 24/7 assistance.
The Most Common Medication Errors
Medical errors rank among the leading causes of death in the United States, causing hundreds of thousands of injuries and fatalities each year. Many errors involve medications, which may become lost, tainted, prescribed in excessive doses, inappropriately prescribed to high-risk groups, dispensed to the wrong patients, or confused with other medications, such as drugs with similar-sounding names.
According to recent research available through the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), approximately “7,000 to 9,000 people die [annually] as a result of a medication error” in the United States. Researchers identified at least nine types of medication errors that, together, pose some of the greatest threats to patient safety:
- Prescription errors
- Omission errors
- Administering medication to patients at the wrong time
- Giving “[u]nauthorized” medications to patients
- Dosage errors
- Getting the drug’s preparation incorrect
- Making errors when administering the drug, such as “[using an] incorrect route of administration, giving the drug to the wrong patient, [or giving the patient an] extra dose”
- Failing to consider dangerous drug interactions or related issues, such as risk factors in the patient’s medical history
- Failing to follow normal regulations and protocols
Researchers also sought to identify not only leading types, but leading causes of medication errors. These causes included, but were not limited to:
- Doctors, nurses, or other medical staff being distracted
- Information becoming distorted, often due to unclear handwriting or use of abbreviations
- Failures to record or transmit information accurately
- Failures to consult and follow up with patients adequately
Suing a Doctor or Pharmacy for Giving the Wrong Prescription Drug in Dallas, TX
If you suffered physical harm or financial losses due to a doctor or pharmacist’s careless mistakes in Dallas, Texas, you may be able to recover compensation by filing a lawsuit. However, due to the tight deadlines and complex regulations that impact these types of cases, it’s important to make sure you have help from an experienced medication error lawyer in Dallas.
In order to obtain compensation, you must prove certain facts, such as the occurrence of a “breach of duty.” A breach of duty occurs when a medical professional, such as a doctor or pharmacist, fails to exercise a reasonable, appropriate level of care, leading to an avoidable patient death or injury. For instance, a doctor may breach the duty of care by failing to consider allergic reactions, failing to consider drug interactions, failing to specify the correct dosage, getting your treatment regimen confused with another patient’s, handing you the wrong pill bottle, or otherwise failing to meet acceptable standards.
Can Patients Get Compensated for Medication Error Injuries?
A medication error can lead to debilitating, in some cases lethal complications. In Dallas, Texas, the victims of medication errors may receive financial compensation for the harm they have suffered. While no amount of compensation can make up for the damage done, a lawsuit can ease the financial strain on you and your loved ones, making it easier to obtain the quality care you need.
Compensation may be available for your pain and suffering, wages that you have lost due to your injuries, and medical bills associated with your injuries or illness. This may include costs related to surgery, hospitalization, physical therapy, rehabilitation, prosthetic limbs, medical devices, mobility aids, and related medical expenses. The Queenan Law Firm will fight tirelessly for every dollar your claim is worth, working strategically to prove that medical negligence led to your injury or illness.
Dallas Medication Error + Wrong Prescription Attorney Serving Texas
A medication error can cause profound physical, emotional, and financial harm to its victim and the rest of your family. Hold the responsible parties accountable and fight for the compensation you deserve by filing a personal injury claim with assistance from The Queenan Law Firm, P.C.
With over 20 years of experience handling claims related to medical malpractice and doctor negligence, we deliver strategic, hard-hitting legal representation throughout the Dallas area. Contact us online today to schedule a free consultation, or call Queenan Law 24 hours at (817) 476-1797 to speak confidentially with a Dallas medication errors attorney today.