Medication Errors

Malpractice Lawyer Representing Patients Throughout Rhode Island

Medication is a necessary component of medical care and is routinely prescribed to treat both chronic and acute conditions and illnesses. The process of prescribing and administering medication often involves multiple steps and parties, and it is not uncommon for a person to receive the wrong medication or an inappropriate dosage. If you suffered adverse health effects due to a medication error, it is in your best interest to consult a skillful Rhode Island medication error lawyer regarding your case. Attorney David Tapalian is adept at helping people injured by medication errors seek the full amount of compensation that they are entitled to recover from the parties that caused their harm.

Common Causes of Medication Errors

Anyone involved in the practice of prescribing and administering medication must be diligent and ensure that the correct medication is prescribed and distributed. Medication errors are common, however, and can result in significant harm. A doctor may fail to fully assess a patient’s medical history and may prescribe a drug that can cause a harmful interaction with a drug that the patient is currently taking. In some instances, a doctor may simply prescribe an inappropriate medication or dosage, resulting in the patient’s harm. Alternatively, if a doctor fails to prescribe medication in a timely manner, this also can result in severe consequences.

Even if a medication is prescribed correctly, it can result in patient harm if the pharmacist inadvertently gives the patient the wrong medication or dosage. Medication errors can also occur in hospitals when a nurse accidentally administers an incorrect drug or the wrong dosage of the correct drug. Cases involving medication errors are complex and typically involve numerous parties and claims. A medication error attorney in Rhode Island can analyze the circumstances surrounding your case and help you assess which damages you may be owed.

Proving Liability for a Medication Error

Any health care professional involved in prescribing and distributing medication can be held liable for harm caused by a medication error. Under Rhode Island law, to prove liability for a medication error, you must first establish the standard of care imposed on the medical provider. In cases involving medication errors, the standard of care to which a medical practitioner must adhere is the care that a reasonably skilled professional working in the same field would exercise under similar circumstances. Once the standard of care is established, you must show that the medical provider breached the standard and that the breach caused your injury. In other words, even if you can prove that a medication error occurred, you cannot recover damages unless you can prove that the error caused you to suffer actual harm. Typically, your Rhode Island medication error attorney will need to engage an expert to prove that the medication error that caused your harm constituted a breach of the standard of care and that the breach resulted in damages.

Damages Caused by Medication Errors

Medication errors can cause both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include the cost of any medical treatment that the injured person needed due to the harm caused by the medication error and any loss of income resulting from the injured person’s inability to work due to their harm. Non-economic damages include compensation for the pain and suffering caused by the error. In Rhode Island, any claim for damages arising out of a medication error must be pursued within three years of the date of the injury. Thus, if you were harmed by a medication error, it is prudent to speak with a trusted medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible.

Retain a Rhode Island Attorney for Your Medical Malpractice Case

Medication is often the first line of treatment that a doctor employs, but when medication is improperly given to a patient, it can cause grave injuries. If you sustained harm due to a medication error, it is vital to retain a medication error lawyer in Rhode Island to assist you in pursuing claims against the parties that caused your harm. Attorney David Tapalian is proficient in helping people injured by medication errors seek any compensation that they may be owed. Mr. Tapalian’s main office is located in Providence, and he is also available for consultations by appointment at his second office in Seekonk, Massachusetts. Mr. Tapalian can be contacted through the online form or at 401-552-5000 to schedule a confidential and free consultation.