Polypharmacy, excessively prescribing patient medications to treat a single condition where only one is sufficient, is a growing problem. When a medical provider over-treats a patient, there can be harmful reactions to drugs and adverse interactions between them. In fact, the consequences of polypharmacy are so serious, they have compelled the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to release a “National Action Plan” aimed at their prevention. If a doctor or nursing home is prescribing your loved one more medication than necessary, it could be hurting their health.
Pintas & Mullins Law Firm wants to help you get to the bottom of this. Your loved one’s negative reaction to polypharmacy could be the result of negligence. A nursing home has a responsibility to care for your loved one, which means making sure that they receive the medication they need safely.
If you believe your loved one is being overtreated or receiving a dangerous drug combination, give us a call today for a free consultation at (800) 842-6336. A Miami polypharmacy lawyer wants to help you seek justice. At Pintas & Mullins Law Firm, we work on a contingency basis, so you do not pay us until we win justice for you and your family.
Polypharmacy in Nursing Homes
When nursing homes are responsible for administering medication to patients, they open themselves up to potential liability for any mis-administration of medication to their patients. Additionally, they may face further liability for harm that results from any negligently prescribed medications. Nursing home prescribers must be careful not to prescribe medications that could have adverse medication interactions, a common polypharmacy problem.
Dangerous medication interactions can result in “adverse drug events,” accidents and injuries that result from negative reactions to medications or adverse drug interactions.
Adverse Drug Events
If your loved one suffered harm from polypharmacy, it could have been in the form of an “adverse drug event,” a bad reaction to a drug or harmful drug interactions. Adverse drug events are so prevalent that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services now identifies and targets them for prevention. Potential adverse drug events a patient may suffer include:
- Harmful drug reactions, including anaphylactic shock or other allergic reactions
- Excessive internal bleeding
- Hypoglycemia
- Oversedation
- Respiratory depression
- Cardiac hypotension or hypertension
If a doctor or other medical professional catches the mistake soon enough, intervention may prevent severe harm or death from adverse drug events. But not all patients immediately exhibit signs of an adverse drug event. Without the necessary intervention, they may experience life-threatening complications as a result. If your loved one suffered consequences of polypharmacy or an adverse drug event, a Miami polypharmacy lawyer may be able to help you get justice.
A Miami Polypharmacy Lawyer Can Help You Get Justice for Your Loved One
If your loved one suffered the harmful effects of a dangerous drug interaction, they might have experienced permanent complications, or worse, death. A Miami polypharmacy lawyer can help you get justice for your loved one, working your case from the beginning to the end. Collecting a large body of pre-filing evidence is a crucial first step in building a strong case. The more evidence collected before filing a lawsuit, the more thorough the case can be. To gather this evidence, a lawyer may have medical professionals assess your relative’s condition, acquire copies of hospital records, and seek expert witness testimony.
Determining a Settlement Demand
A lawyer will also determine and include a settlement demand that appropriately compensates your economic and noneconomic losses within the initial filing documents. The defendant will receive the settlement demand when they are served with the lawsuit.
Medical bills and any lost wages from work you missed while caring for your loved one will help make up your economic damages demand. Your lawyer will consider any pain and suffering or loss in your loved one’s quality of life when determining what might be a fair noneconomic damages demand.
Settlement Negotiations
Once your lawyer has determined a fair settlement amount, a lawyer can negotiate for that amount with the opposing party’s counsel. Liable parties are often much more likely to entertain a fair award amount when the pre-filing evidence has been thorough and accurate. In addition to clearly presenting the extent of the harm suffered by your loved one, it will establish the credibility of a settlement demand. Your lawyer will negotiate for a fair settlement.
Trial
When a party refuses to fairly negotiate a settlement award, a lawyer may instead opt to take a case to trial. There are advantages and disadvantages of taking any case to trial, but if your lawyer establishes a strong body of evidence, they will likely be well-prepared for trial. Further, there is the potential for a jury to assign damages in excess of the settlement demanded in the lawsuit’s filing documents.
For a free legal consultation with a Miami Polypharmacy Lawyer serving Miami, call (800) 794-0444
Get Help from Pintas & Mullins Law Firm Today
Polypharmacy can have dangerous, lasting consequences. If your loved one suffered or is currently suffering from the negative effects of overmedication or a dangerous interaction, a Miami polypharmacy lawyer may be able to help you with your case. We might be able to help you take action against a nursing home liable for the suffering of your loved one. Your loved one deserves justice. We want to hold the nursing home liable on your loved one’s behalf.
Pintas & Mullins Law Firm wants to help you get the justice your loved one deserves. We offer free, no-commitment consultations at (800) 842-6336 and are looking forward to learning more about your case. We take no payment from you unless we win your case. Give us a call today to see what we can do for you.
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