Columbus Medication Error Lawyer
Also known as Adverse Drug Events (ADE), medication errors can happen nearly anywhere along the healthcare continuum. According to the Journal of Hospital Internal Medicine Perspective, these errors are responsible for millions of doctor’s office visits and emergency room trips annually.
If you were injured after a medication error, you could benefit from consulting with a seasoned Columbus medication error lawyer. A knowledgeable attorney could explain your rights and help you build a claim for compensation.
Common Causes of Medication and Dosage Errors
Despite the varied multitude of safeguards that are in place, errors and mistakes regarding medication and dosage are unfortunately frequent in Georgia. Common causes of these oversights include:
- Lack of patient education;
- Lack of medication review with patients;
- Poor communication between healthcare providers;
- Medical shortcuts;
- Drug names that sound alike; and
- Medications that look alike.
Determining Liability in Columbus
For a successful civil claim, a victim of a medication mistake must demonstrate that a medical professional is at fault for his or her injuries. For mistakes regarding medicine, the wrongdoers may include pharmacies, hospitals, physician offices, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, nurses, and even drug manufacturers.
Essentially, it must be shown that the medical professional in question owed a legal duty of care to a victim, that this duty was breached, and that the breach of this duty resulted in an injury. In many cases, there will be more than one liable party involved. Due to the complexity and exhaustive nature of demonstrating these elements of legal negligence, an injured person seeking compensation may wish to seek help from a meticulous Columbus medication error attorney.
What Happens if an Injured Person is Partially Responsible?
In some cases, a victim may be found partially responsible for his or her own damages. This may happen if, for example, a patient failed to take his or her medications as prescribed or mixed their medicine with other substances without first consulting a medical professional.
Georgia is a modified comparative fault state, meaning an injured person may have their potential recovery reduced by their own degree of fault. When, for example, a victim is considered to be 30 percent at fault for his or her injuries, they may recover 70 percent of the damages.
However, for a victim to receive a favorable verdict—and thus for them to receive any monetary compensation for their injuries—he or she must be less than 50 percent liable for his or her own injuries. If their liability is determined to be over this percentile, the verdict would be in favor of the wrongdoer and no money would be owed to the victim. A medication mistake lawyer in Columbus could work with an injured patient to minimize their own comparative negligence and pursue a fair result.
Let a Columbus Medication Error Attorney Help
If the neglectful care of a doctor leads to you suffering injuries from improper medication usage, you should not have to shoulder the subsequent financial burdens alone. While filing a lawsuit against a medical professional can prove to be challenging and overwhelming, a hardworking Columbus medication error lawyer could help.
If you were injured due to a medication error, call a compassionate attorney to discuss seeking compensation. Our team of legal professionals is available to take your call and can work tirelessly to advocate on your behalf. Reach out today to schedule a free case review.