Philadelphia Medication Error Lawyer

Medication, especially controlled substances, is often the key to helping someone suffering from certain medical issues. Because these drugs contain chemicals that affect the body and brain’s functions, they can be extremely dangerous when used incorrectly. Failing to consider all important factors when prescribing medicine to a patient can lead to serious medical complications that could cause permanent damage to the patient’s health or even result in death. If you were the victim of a medication error by a Pennsylvania doctor, you need a skilled medical malpractice attorney who will fight to get you coverage for medical costs and any pain and suffering you may have experienced. Call the Philadelphia medication errors lawyers at the Marrone Law Firm, LLC for legal assistance with your PA medical malpractice claim.

Understanding Common Medication Errors

Medication errors aren’t always in regards to prescribing the WRONG medication. There are many types of medication errors that can have serious consequences for a patient. However, not all medication errors automatically make the doctor or pharmacist liable because allergies or certain healthcare history may be unknown.

Medication errors that our Philadelphia attorneys have seen may stem from doctor negligence and include:

• Prescribing the wrong medication without considering certain family history or symptoms
• Giving the patient the wrong dosage by accident
• Accidentally administering the wrong medication
• Failing to consider a person’s medical or medication history
• Failure to inform the patient of all possible risks or side effects of the medication
• Carelessly mixing different prescription drugs that are known to interact poorly

These types of surgical errors can result in a wide variety of serious injuries or health conditions, including heart failure, blood clots, infection or sepsis, bleeding out, severed nerves (meaning loss of feeling or mobility), paralysis, loss of limb, loss of muscle performance, permanent nerve damage resulting in pain, contraction of disease, cell damage, brain damage, breathing troubles, organ failure, coma, or even death.

Common Side Effects of Medication Errors

Our attorneys know that getting the wrong medication or dosage, or having medication mix poorly with other medications, can have serious consequences for a Philadelphia patient. Some side effects may be minor, such as drowsiness, mildly increased heart rate, or feeling loopy. When someone gets a medication they clearly should not have gotten, or when they get too much of a medication, however, the resulting effects can be much more detrimental to one’s health and result in permanent health problems.

Some of the most common medication reactions and effects include:

• Allergic Reactions
• Internal Bleeding
• Dangerously High Blood Pressure or Heart Rate
• Breathing Difficulties
• Brain Damage
• Drug Addiction
• Hallucinations or Distorted Thinking
• Suicidal Thoughts and Serious Depression or Anxiety
• Loss of Consciousness or Coma
• Heart Failure, Stroke, or Death

Understanding Duty of Care and Liability in Medication Error Cases

In order for an attorney to establish liability and sue for a medication error in a Philadelphia medical malpractice case, a licensed health practitioner must have breached their duty of care, their breach must be the direct cause of the medical issues suffered by the patient, and the damage done must meet certain requirements.

Duty of Care: This is a standard of care that is expected of all healthcare professionals, regardless of specialty, time in the field, or job position. It is assumed that doctors and medical practitioners will do everything a qualified doctor should do to provide proper medical care to their patients. When it comes to prescribing medication, part of this duty of care may involve the doctor taking into account a patient’s allergies or other current medications they may be on.

Breach of Duty of Care: This occurs when a healthcare professional fails to uphold the standard of care that is expected of them, resulting in further harm to a patient in the form of illness or injury. In such cases, the negligent doctor can be considered liable in a medical malpractice case. Such errors involving prescription meds include failing to inquire about a patient’s medical history, administering the wrong drug, overdosing the patient, etc.

Direct Causality: In order for a medical practitioner to be liable, there must have been negligence that occurred and that was a direct cause of the injury or illness that the PA patient experienced thereafter. Keep in mind that simply making a mistake and prescribing the wrong medication does not automatically equal liability for a doctor.

Medical Costs and Emotional Damages: Finally, the damage done to the patient needs to have been severe enough to have caused financial strain (medical bills or lost wages, for instance) or emotional suffering and pain to the patient in situations in which the injury/illness lasts a long time.

Consult a Philadelphia Medication Error Attorney About Your Claim Today

Prescription medications are controlled substances for a reason. They are dangerous when they are not necessary, are taken incorrectly, are used with other medications, or are taken in the wrong amount. When a Pennsylvania doctor breaches their duty to provide a patient with a certain standard of care by administering the wrong drug or overdosing a patient, they may be liable for any serious medical bills and long-term pain and suffering of the patient. If you are the victim of a medication error by a doctor in Pennsylvania, the experienced Philadelphia medication error lawyers at the Marrone Law Firm can help you get the financial compensation that will get you back to your normal life.

Contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation about your case.