Millions of Americans rely on prescription medications to manage their health conditions. And for many, these medicines are vital and lifesaving. However, when a mistake involving medications occurs, it can result in severe and fatal injuries.
If you or a loved one suffered harm because of a problem with your medication, you might qualify for compensation for your injuries and more. A Germantown medication errors attorney with Brown & Barron can help you recover your losses with a medical malpractice claim or lawsuit.
What Is a Medication Error?
Medication errors refer to mistakes made anywhere along the chain, from when a doctor prescribes a drug to when the drug is administered to a patient. Examples of medication errors include:
- Wrong dose
- Wrong medication
- Adverse drug interactions
- Allergic reactions
- Missing a dose or duplicating a dose
- Use of an unauthorized drug
- Administration errors
When a medication error causes injury, it is called an adverse drug event (ADE). According to StatPearls, ADEs cause an estimated 7,000 to 9,000 deaths every year in the United States. Additionally, medication errors affect seven million patients annually.
If you suffered from a medication error injury, it could be because of negligent medical care, and you may qualify for financial awards.
How do Medication Errors Occur?
According to Medical Principles and Practice, ADEs are the most common and preventable cause of medical injury and the leading type of medical malpractice. Examples of negligence that can lead to a medication error injury or fatality include:
- Failure to obtain a patient’s medical history, review their current medications and verify that new prescriptions will not cause an adverse reaction
- Failure to prescribe the correct medicine for the patient’s condition
- Prescribing or administering an underdose or overdose
- Failure to correctly transcribe a prescription
- Mishandling or mislabeling a prescription
- Mixing the wrong/incorrect dosage or medication
- Administering a drug to the wrong patient
- Administering a drug at the wrong time
- Failing to monitor a patient’s reaction to a medication
- Failing to address symptoms of an ADE
Get in touch with a medication errors lawyer serving Germantown, 410-547-0202 for a free case evaluation.
Our Medication Error Lawyers Can Help You Recover Damages
Our law firm focuses exclusively on medical malpractice and nursing home abuse and neglect cases. We know what it takes to hold doctors, nurses, hospitals, and care facilities responsible for their negligent behavior. We also know how vital it is that we secure awards to protect your family’s financial future and provide the resources to pay for your medical care and other damages.
Our attorneys can help you seek compensation for:
- Transportation by ambulance
- Hospitalizations
- Doctor fees
- Medical procedures
- Physical and occupational rehabilitation
- Medical devices and equipment
- Long-term nursing care
- Lost wages, benefits, and earnings
- Loss of future earning capacity
- The value of household services
- Physical pain
- Mental and emotional suffering
- Reduced quality of life
- Wrongful death
Furthermore, we will handle every detail of your case so that you can work on healing. Our Germantown medication errors attorneys will:
Establish Medical Negligence
To win your medication errors case, you must prove that the liable health care provider or facility acted negligently. To establish malpractice, our team will collect evidence, interview witnesses, and consult with experts to show:
- A doctor/patient relationship existed between you and the liable party
- The liable party failed to fulfill the professional medical duty owed to the patients
- The liable party’s breach of duty resulted in your injury
- Your injury led to financial losses and pain and suffering
According to Md. Cts. & Jud. Proc. Code § 3-2C-02, you must also file a sworn statement from a qualified professional asserting your injury resulted from medical negligence. Our lawyers can connect you with a medical expert who can attest to your injuries. We will draft and file your statement within 90 days of your initial claim, as required by Maryland law.
File a Medication Errors Lawsuit Before the Statute of Limitations Expires
You must file your lawsuit within the earlier of either five years of your medication error injury or within three years from the time you discovered your injury, according to Maryland Courts & Judicial Proceedings Code section 5-109. In addition, you have three years to sue for the wrongful death of a loved one under Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 3-904.
Due to these strict time limits, it is good to get started on your case as soon as possible following your injury.
Get Help from a Germantown Medication Errors Attorney Today
At Brown & Barron, our legal team has more than 137 years of combined experience that we put to work for our clients. Our goal is to help you secure the compensation you need as quickly and efficiently as possible while putting as little stress on you and your family.
One way we help victims of medication errors is by taking cases on contingency. You have enough financial burden because of your injuries, and you do not need the added stress of legal fees. Therefore, we ask for nothing upfront, and we only collect payment when we receive a successful outcome in your case. Call us for a free consultation to learn more about working with our Germantown medication errors lawyers.
Contact Brown & Barron online today to schedule a free case review with a with a medication errors lawyer serving Germantown.