According to the Mayo Clinic, medication errors result in thousands of preventable injuries each year. Improper uses of medication can range from incorrect dosages to administering the wrong drug altogether.
Unfortunately, medication errors are common in nursing homes. According to a study by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, nearly 16% to 27% of nursing home residents experience a medication error at some point during their residency.
If your loved one has suffered health complications due to a medication error, they deserve justice. With the guidance of a Louisiana medication errors lawyer, you have the opportunity to pursue monetary compensation and a measure of justice from the at-fault party. To learn more, call (800) 842-6336, and begin a free consultation with Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today.
Types of Medication Errors
For many people, the term “medication error” brings to mind an overdose. While overdoses are a cause of many medication errors, overdoses are only one way in which a nursing home and its staff could cause harm to your loved one.
One of the most notable types of medication errors is the omission of any medication at all. These errors can happen in multiple ways. For example, a doctor could forget to prescribe a drug after a diagnosis. Alternatively, the nursing home’s care staff could fail to provide a certain medication at a specific time. These omissions can have serious consequences. Not only would a patient miss out on the benefits of the medication, but abruptly omitting some drugs is hazardous.
Underdosing is another medication error. Many seniors must receive their medications in certain amounts to get the desired effect. For some residents, an underdose has the same effect as skipping the medication entirely.
Mix-ups among the nursing home’s staff have the potential to cause serious consequences. If your loved one suffered harm at the hands of a negligent nursing home, you have legal options. To learn more, call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today.
How Medication Errors Occur
Medication errors occur in many different ways in a nursing home setting. These mistakes can occur when a doctor writes a prescription, when the medication is distributed to a nursing home resident, or at any point in between.
Some of the ways these errors occur include:
- Nursing home employees disregarding a doctor’s orders
- Doctors failing to prescribe a necessary medication
- Doctors prescribing the wrong medication
- Nursing home staff providing medication to the wrong resident
- Failing to identify harmful medication interactions
- Prescribing or administering the wrong dosage
- Not preparing the medication as required by the manufacturer
Even minor errors regarding prescription medications could have dangerous consequences. For instance, failing to take into account a nursing home resident’s dietary requirements could result in harmful interactions.
All nursing homes have a moral and legal obligation to provide the best possible quality of care to their residents. This includes properly training staff members, regularly checking residents’ health, and monitoring the premises. When a nursing home fails to provide the established standard of care, multiple parties suffer.
Following a medication error, your loved one may have suffered serious health issues or passed away. If your family is dealing with the consequences of a medication error, let Pintas & Mullins Law Firm assist you with every step of the legal process. When you begin a free consultation with a member of our team, we can explain how a Louisiana medication errors lawyer can help you. Call today to get started.
For a free legal consultation, call (800) 842-6336
Compensation for a Medication Error Case
There are two forms of compensation available in any negligence claim. These are known as economic and non-economic damages. Economic losses reflect your financial, verifiable expenses.
Noneconomic damages, however, are more subjective. Your lawyer will need to take into account your loved one’s condition, the severity of the error, and other circumstances surrounding your case to calculate these losses. If the liable party extends a settlement offer, your lawyer may work with the liable party to assign value to your pain and suffering.
Examples of monetary awards include:
- Medical bills. The medical bills following a medication error can be expensive. Following your loved one’s medication error, you may receive financial recovery for their health complications.
- Pain and suffering. Many medication errors leave nursing home residents in pain. It is possible to recover compensation for a resident’s physical pain and emotional suffering.
- Mental anguish. Reliving the moments following a medication error can have a lasting effect on many nursing home residents. A resident could recover compensation for this expense, along with the cost of mental health counseling.
- Loss of enjoyment of life. Many medication errors dramatically reduce a person’s quality of life. For instance, if your loved one suffered brain damage as a result of a medication error, they may face lifelong consequences.
Your Louisiana medication errors lawyer can shed light on any other types of recoverable losses.
Contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm to Get Started
After choosing to partner with Pintas & Mullins Law Firm, your legal team will first file a complaint with the nursing home’s administration. Upon learning about the error, they may take administrative action against the negligent caretaker and offer you an out-of-court settlement. However, if they refuse to resolve your case, then your lawyer can take your case before a judge.
If your loved one suffered medical complications due to a medication error, you are entitled to pursue legal action against the responsible party. That party could be the nursing home’s administration, its care staff, or a third-party medical professional.
Do not hesitate to move forward with your loved one’s case. The state’s statute of limitations may place sanctions on your ability to move forward with a lawsuit.
Reach out to Pintas & Mullins Law Firm to get started on your case. Call (800) 842-6336 to learn more about how a Louisiana medication errors lawyer can help you.
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