DeKalb County Medication Error Cases
Because there are several steps between prescribing a medication and the patient receiving it, there are ample opportunities for errors that can cause injury to a patient. The results of such oversights can range from being completely benign to causing serious injury or death.
However, while this type of malpractice may be common in DeKalb County, medication error cases often require extensive legal knowledge and experience. In order to give yourself the best odds of a positive case outcome, consider contacting a seasoned malpractice lawyer who has access to cutting-edge technology and an in-house medical professional on stand-by.
Defining and Identifying Medication Errors
As defined by DeKalb County law, a medication error can occur anywhere in the medication delivery process between when a doctor prescribes the medication and when the patient receives the medication. There are multiple places in that chain of events where something can go wrong, and if something does go awry, it is typically considered a medication error.
The most common example of a medication error is improper dosage. For example, if a patient is supposed to take 10 milligrams of a certain drug, and instead he or she is given 100 milligrams, that would be an improper dosage case.
A medication error can also occur if the wrong drug is given to a patient, or if it is administered via the wrong route—an intravenous drug being administered orally, for instance, or vice versa. Other common types of mistakes that lead to medication error claims in DeKalb County include orders from physician being misread by nurses or pharmacists and patients not being properly advised of side effects.
When Could Someone File a Medication Error Case?
An individual must be physically injured in order to file a valid medical malpractice claim. Additionally, there must be a medical error that was a violation of the standard of care, and that error must have been the direct cause of the victim’s physical injuries and damages.
For example, in an incorrect dosage case, the prescription bottle will state the dosage for the patient. If the medication dosage is incorrect based on a doctor’s order rather than the patient misreading the label, it is not the patient’s error. Unlike patient errors, medication errors can be identified by medical literature, which provides certain dosages for certain drugs.
Evidence to support a case based on this kind of error could include the prescription bottle that shows the dispensed medication’s dosage and type, as well as medical records showing the order or prescription from the physician and clarifying what was dispensed to the patient. Attorneys in DeKalb County litigating medication error cases may also make use of testimonial statements from the people involved throughout the medication process, as well as expert witness testimony to confirm what the standard of care is and identify the specific errors that caused the patient’s injury.
Discuss Filing a Medication Error Case with an Experienced DeKalb County Attorney
If you believe you were a victim of medication error in DeKalb County, the first thing you should do is either contact a physician or go to the hospital to deal with any health consequences the error in question caused. Once you have received proper medical treatment, you should contact an experienced medication error attorney to find out if you have a valid legal claim.
The role of an attorney in a medication error case in DeKalb County is to investigate the case thoroughly, gather all the relevant evidence and testimony to determine if there is a case, and assess applicable damages and how they have injured the victim. If a valid claim exists, an attorney could file the case and pursue compensation on your behalf. Call to speak directly to an attorney who takes calls after hours and offers a free case review.