Many people across the country wake up in the morning, grab a glass of water, and swallow a few prescription pills to start the day. These medications are typically prescribed by doctors and put together by pharmacists — all in an effort to treat a person’s condition or improve their health. You, as a patient, trust that medical professionals and manufacturers are dedicated to their jobs and complete their due diligence when it comes to your prescriptions. The unfortunate truth, however, is that medical professionals make mistakes. The only catch is that their mistake can cause you severe illness, injury, or even death.
Medication Errors and Common Causes in Pittsburgh, PA
There are a variety of causes of medication errors, especially in regard to prescription drugs. There are patients who have suffered a prescription drug overdose simply because their prescribing doctor wrote down the wrong dosage. The cause of the error can even lie with the pharmacist, who might enter the wrong dosage on your bottle’s label and leave you to take much more than you should. Unfortunately, these are not the only causes of prescription drug injuries. Sometimes, a doctor or physician may prescribe a drug that the patient is allergic to. The doctor might even fail to properly treat an allergic reaction, resulting in even more harm.
Simply not making you aware of side effects also constitutes a medication error. If the doctor does not recognize and treat a serious side effect, it is also considered a medication error. Lastly, another common cause of a medication error when the doctor prescribes you something that does not mix well with other medications you might be taking. This could cause you great harm.
So, when these medication errors happen, who is liable? Who ends up being legally responsible for your injuries?
Determining Liability for Your Prescription Drug Injuries in PA
At the end of the day, you might not know how or who exactly caused your prescription drug injury. An experienced medical malpractice lawyer can help you determine liability. A lawyer should be able to investigate the medication error and see where it took root.
It could be an array of people who caused harm. Your doctor’s handwriting could be what led to you being prescribed the wrong amount or dosage. Or maybe a nurse administered a prescription drug one way when it should have been administered another, leaving you injured. The liability might land on the pharmacist who was responsible for putting your prescription together correctly. They might have failed to review your medical records and ended up giving you something that you were allergic to. In rare cases, the pharmaceutical company that manufactured the prescription drug could be responsible for your injury because they simply mislabeled the dosage on the pill.
In any case, it will probably require the right lawyer to figure out who is liable before you can hold them accountable for their mistake.
Contact Pittsburgh Medical Malpractice Lawyers to Help Clients Throughout Pennsylvania
Medical malpractice lawsuits can be quite complex, and they typically require great attention to detail and dedication. The legal team at Matzus Law, LLC has what it takes to make sure that your case is up to par. From medication errors to a misdiagnosis, our attorneys handle the full gamut of medical malpractice cases in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We will fight to get you properly compensated for any damages you may have suffered due to prescription drug malpractice. Call (412) 206-5300 or email us to schedule a consultation. The law firm office is conveniently located at 310 Grant St #3210, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.
The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.