If your spouse, parent, or another family member suffered complications after a medication error in their Chicago nursing home, we may help you hold the facility administrators accountable. You may have the right to take civil action on behalf of your loved one in the form of financial compensation for losses associated with the medical injury.
To learn more about medication errors and how they may be related to nursing home neglect, call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today. We offer free case evaluations and can explain if we believe you have a compelling case to hold the nursing home liable for your loved one’s related expenses and losses.
Medication Errors in U.S. Nursing Homes
According to a systematic review of the prevalence of medication errors resulting in hospitalization and death of nursing home residents published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, between 16 to 27 percent of all nursing home residents included in the studies suffered from medication errors. This likely means the real number of affected residents reaches an even higher amount. A full 75 percent of residents involved in the reviewed studies received at least one incorrect medication while living in the facility.
Some ways medication errors occur in nursing homes include:
Prescription Dosage Errors
Too much or too little of some medications can have dangerous, even life-threatening, consequences. A dosing error can lead to the resident overdosing or suffering medical problems because of an untreated condition. Dosing errors may occur when a patient receives their medication twice because of miscommunication or receives it at a hospital and again at the facility.
Missed Dosages of Medication
In some cases, missing a dose of medication can prove just as dangerous. If a patient does not get their medication as they should, they could suffer serious consequences. For example, insulin-dependent diabetics who miss a shot may have complications related to high blood sugar levels.
Receiving Another Patient’s Medication
Giving medication to the wrong patient may occur when the facility does not have a plan in place to check and double-check the identity of a patient before giving medication. Residents may not have the ability to tell nursing home staff that their medication looks different or worse—the caregiver may ignore a resident’s complaints.
Receiving Unnecessary Medication
Residents should not receive unnecessary medications. In some cases, nursing home staff administer medications to make residents sleep or to otherwise limit their activity. This kind of administration classifies as nursing home abuse.
The fact that these mistakes remain entirely preventable makes the situation even more unbearable. A medication error that causes injury or illness may support a nursing home neglect case.
Call the Chicago medication errors lawyers of Pintas & Mullins Law Firm now for your free, no-obligation consultation. We want to discuss your loved one’s Chicago medication errors case with you to see how our firm may help.
Medication Errors May Support Legal Action Against the Nursing Home Administration
If our attorney reviews your loved one’s case and believes we can take legal action on your family’s behalf, we will fight for three things:
- Compensation through a negotiated settlement or civil lawsuit.
- Accountability from nursing home owners or administrators.
Strict deadlines apply for filing a civil lawsuit against the nursing home in these cases. We only have two years from the date of discovery to file suit, according to 735 ILCS 5/13-201 in the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure. Contact us as soon as you realize your loved one suffered injuries as a result of a medication error, and let us review your case for free.
Covering the Cost of Legal Representation in a Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse Case
Many people do not seek legal advice about possible nursing home abuse because they worry about how their family will pay for legal representation throughout the process. At Pintas & Mullins Law Firm, our attorneys work on a contingency fee basis.
Our clients never pay anything upfront. Your family will not need to pay any fees or costs out of your pocket. Instead, we take our fee from any settlement or court award we potentially recover in the case. We only get paid if your family recovers compensation.
For a free legal consultation with a Medication Errors Lawyer serving Chicago, call (800) 794-0444
Potential Recoverable Damages in a Chicago Nursing Home Medication Error Case
When we handle a nursing home medication error case, we seek compensation for our clients based on the evidence we collected of their related expenses, the pain and suffering they endured, and the reckless behavior of nursing home administrators.
We believe the defendant should pay for these losses and expenses, not your family. Your loved one has already suffered enough and because of no fault of their own.
In general, recoverable damages in a nursing home medication errors case may include:
- Medical care costs related to a medication error.
- Relocation costs if your loved one moved into another nursing home.
- Other out-of-pocket expenses related to the medication error.
- Pain and suffering and other noneconomic damages.
Chicago Medication Errors Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
Seek a Chicago Medication Errors Attorney for Your Loved One’s Case
If your loved one suffered injuries after a medication error in their Chicago area nursing home, a nursing home abuse and neglect attorney from Pintas & Mullins Law Firm wants to learn more about what happened. We will review your case for free and help you understand your options for possibly holding the nursing home administration accountable.
Call the Chicago medication errors lawyers of Pintas & Mullins Law Firm for your complimentary consultation. The sooner you call, the sooner we may begin working to build you a strong case to seek the compensation you deserve.
Call or text (800) 794-0444 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
