While medication can be very helpful, it is also dangerous. If doctors, pharmacists, or pharmaceutical companies make errors, patients may be at risk. If you are injured due to a medication error, an attorney can help you obtain fair compensation.
Medication errors can lead to unexpected side effects, allergic reactions, or new or worsening medical conditions. Some recover from these injuries, while others deal with long-term complications. It can be challenging to determine who is responsible for a medication error until the cause of the error is identified. Those in the medical field and drug manufacturers may bear responsibility. When we file your case, you may claim medical costs, lost income, pain, suffering, and possibly more.
Call Rice Law at (410) 694-7291 and receive a private, free case review from our medication error attorneys.
How You Might Be Injured Because of a Medication Error
When prescribing medicine, your doctor should ask you about known allergies and advise you of common allergic reactions to the medication, just in case they arise later. If you experienced a painful allergic reaction because your doctor failed to consider your allergies or advise you of possible reactions, you should consider legal action.
Another common result of medication errors is painful side effects. Before any medication is approved for use, its side effects must be understood. While they are sometimes serious, they might be worth the medication’s benefits. If your doctor failed to advise you of side effects or they were negligently unaware of them, you can file a civil claim for damages.
Who to Sue for Medication Errors in Silver Spring
Those responsible for a medication error may include medical professionals who negligently administered the medicine, but others might also be implicated. While doctors and nurses might be behind the error, so might pharmacists or others involved in your treatment.
Doctors and Hospitals
Incorrect prescriptions or medication that causes severe allergic reactions are often traced back to negligent doctors. These are not small mistakes, and the doctor should be held accountable. Hospitals may be included in these cases because they employ the negligent medical professionals responsible for the error.
Proving medical negligence is tricky, as not all medical mistakes are considered malpractice. Our medication error attorneys must be able to prove that the doctor’s mistake constitutes treatment that falls below the standard of care.
Nurses
Perhaps the doctor ordered the correct medication, but the wrong one was administered. Often, nurses are responsible for administering medicine to patients in hospitals, and they might accidentally get the wrong meds.
Nurses often must log into the hospital’s computer system and enter information about the specific medication being administered, including dosage details. We may review the hospital’s records to determine which medications were ordered and which ones were actually administered to the patient.
Pharmacies
Your doctor might have prescribed the correct medication, but the pharmacist might have made an error when filling the prescription. They might have given you medication that was too strong or the entirely wrong medication. Patients might not realize there was an error until they suffer painful complications.
Like hospitals, pharmacies require that all information about prescriptions be thoroughly recorded. These records are crucial in proving that the pharmacy made an error when filling your prescription.
Claiming Damages in a Silver Spring Medication Error Case
While errors or mix-ups might result from simple mistakes, damages are anything but simple. You might be entitled to damages for costly medical treatment, lost income if you are too sick to work, and much more.
Medical Expenses
Medication errors can lead to serious illnesses or medical complications that require costly treatment. If you were prescribed the wrong medicine, it might interact with other medicines you are taking to cause severe injuries.
Some experience complications that require long-term care, and their hospital bills might be extremely expensive.
Loss of Income
Medication errors can take a significant toll on a person’s body. You may find yourself unable to continue working, resulting in a loss of valuable income. The longer you cannot work, the greater your damages should be to account for your lost wages.
We can even estimate how much income you might lose in the future if you cannot work indefinitely and add it to your claims.
Pain and Distress
One of the hardest parts about dealing with medical complications is the pain and emotional distress. Your existing condition might become worse and more painful. You might suddenly find yourself far sicker than before, and the psychological toll of knowing that you are so sick, all because of someone else’s error, might be hard to cope with.
While these injuries do not necessarily come with economic costs, they still deserve financial compensation.
When to File a Case for Medication Errors
Cases against medical professionals for medication errors are usually medical malpractice claims. Under Md. Code Cts. & Jud. Proc. Art., § 5-109(a), such claims must be filed within 5 years of when the injuries occurred or 3 years of when you discovered the injuries, whichever is earlier.
If you sue someone other than a medical professional, your case might instead be considered a personal injury claim. These claims adhere to a different statute of limitations. Under § 5-101, you must file the case within 3 years of when the medication error caused injuries.
Injuries from medication errors are not always immediate. You might take the wrong medicine for some time before you experience painful reactions or side effects. Keep track of when your injuries begin so we can determine an accurate limitation period.
Contact our Silver Spring Medication Error Lawyers About Your Case
Call Rice Law at (410) 694-7291 and receive a private, free case review from our medication error lawyers.