New York City Drug Injury Lawyers
We go to the doctor when we need help. We depend on their skills to identify and treat our condition. One of the most common ways that we are treated for sickness or injury is through prescription medications. We rarely consider the fact that prescription errors are one of the most common forms of medical error in the United States.
Sometimes medications can have adverse effects on certain patients, and combining medications can lead to unforeseen dangers. It is up to a doctor to determine which medication or combination of medications is right for you, and they must evaluate the risks and rewards of each prescription.
If a doctor fails to live up to this obligation, you may be eligible to receive compensation for their mistake. If you believe a doctor has put you at risk by negligently prescribing a dangerous medication, contact the New York City medical malpractice attorneys at Tucker Lawyers PC to find out the full extent of your rights.
Medication Error Statistics
- Someone dies every day in the United States because of a medication error.
- Over one million Americans are injured every year due to medication errors.
- Out of all the harmful medication errors made in our system, 70 percent involve prescription errors.
- Over 80 percent of Americans take at least one medication and nearly one-third take five or more, meaning that most of us depend on the effectiveness of our medication distribution process.
Common Causes of Medication Errors
You may be wondering what qualifies as negligence. At Tucker Lawyers PC, our consultations are free, and we will take the time to properly evaluate your claim. Our team of experienced NYC prescription drug error lawyers can help determine whether negligence led to your condition.
Here are some forms of doctor, nurse and pharmacist negligence we’ve seen in the past:
- Carelessness leads to a prescription error; either the name of a drug or name of a patient was incorrectly swapped. In some cases, the wrong drug is administered because a pharmacist misread the prescription or the doctor wrote the wrong name of the drug when writing the prescription.
- Dosage errors lead to a patient receiving too much or too little of the required medicine. If the wrong dose of a drug is given to a patient, it can have a significant impact on a person’s health, potentially worsening their condition.
- Drug history was not adequately taken into consideration. Some medications can have adverse reactions with other medications, even if the patient has stopped taking the previous drug. Drug histories need to be thoroughly double-checked for potentially dangerous interactions.
- Failure to explain clearly the method in which the drug in question should be administered. Variables include how many should be taken at a time, how many should be taken each day, and whether the patient should take pills on an empty stomach. Failure to properly explain the risks to a patient can be considered negligence.
What Happens After a Medication Error?
When we are given the wrong medication, the wrong dosage or a dangerous drug, there are several possible outcomes. The drug could fail to treat our condition. It could make that condition worse. Taking the wrong drug or dosage could even cause an entirely new sickness. Medication errors can lead to incredible pain and suffering and burden us with further medical bills, procedures or lost time from work.
Who is Responsible for a Drug-Related Injury or Illness?
Drugs reach consumers through a chain of distribution. The process begins with the manufacturer of that drug. The doctor prescribes the drug, which is then filled by a pharmacist before it eventually is given to a patient. Errors can occur at any point in this process, from manufacturing to the filling of a prescription.
Pharmacists are intended to be the last line of defense between the patient and potential errors in the medication distribution process. They are supposed to catch mistakes by doctors, stay up to date on dangerous drugs and inform patients of dangerous drug interactions. When a prescription error occurs, the pharmacists might be largely responsible for failing to catch that error, even though doctors and/or manufacturers might also share the blame.
Contact Us for a Free Consultation
At Tucker Lawyers PC, we can help you determine whether you have a claim by evaluating your case and finding out who might be held accountable for the damages you’ve suffered. If you’re suffering from harm caused by erroneous prescription drug errors, you deserve compensation.
If someone else is at fault for your condition, you shouldn’t have to bear the financial burden during your time of recovery. Our consultation is free, and there is no legal fee unless we win your case. To reach Tucker Lawyers PC, fill out our online contact form, or call our office.
Managing Attorney John. J. Tucker, Esq.
John has personally handled thousands of clients who were victims of another’s negligence and fights relentlessly for their rights. John enjoys bringing closure to a client’s matter so that the injured party can move forward with their life. His background enables him to evaluate complex liability related claims and bring resolution to claims in a record time frame. [ATTORNEY BIO]
