Medical Errors – Who is Liable?

by Kristen White Blogger One of the leading causes of death in the United States is medical malpractice. The majority of these injuries are due to medication errors. Such errors can have devastating effects on patients and their families. This article will discuss how medication errors happen and who is held liable for them.

Medication errors may happen or are made when data does not match a patient. It is possible that two patients’ records can be mixed up. As a result, when height and weight do not match the right dosage an overdose may occur or not enough medication runs through the body for the condition to be fully treated. Other errors may happen as a result of clerical, handwriting and malfunctioning equipment errors and issues. Another possible factor may be mislabeled pill bottles; these could have incorrect dosages. Incorrect dosage may be a minimal problem when the medication is minor but when the condition is severe the medication may be life-saving or life-threatening. Most of these incidents may affect an individual but when they affect groups of people the situation worsens.

Some drugs are harmful to specific people or everyone in general, as a result, prescriptions that may cause a reaction should be avoided for treatment unless a waiver or permission has been documented by the patient. It is important to make sure that the drug administered will not have any adverse reactions with the patient. If reactions occur, such as allergies, these should be well documented and taken into account when applying any treatment. Where one drug must be taken so as to prevent a reaction from another, it is of the utmost importance that medical professionals both at healthcare facilities and the pharmacy explain in detail the procedures to anyone taking these prescriptions. Without this knowledge the patient may not be able to provide the necessary informed consent for the healthcare provider to avoid a negligence claim.

When it comes to filing a personal injury claim caused by medical errors, there are a number of potential defendants. Some of these defendants may include medical professionals and experts such as doctors, nurses and staff. These medical professionals and experts are required to provide proper care and must follow rules and regulations in order to minimize such types of accidents. When this proper care is not followed, then legal issues may arise. Such legal issues may stem from negligence or criminal behavior. However, when the problem rises to the level of medical malpractice liability may lie with the healthcare professional taking care of the patient. When medical negligence causes damages, the victim or their family may be able to seek compensation.

In most cases, a patient may interact with a number of health care providers including nurses, doctors and pharmacists. However, when a medication mistake is made the factors that contribute to that mistake may be analyzed in order to determine who should be held liable. These mistakes may arise at any point during a patient’s treatment. If it is a wrong prescription prescribed fault may lie with the doctor or if the dosage is incorrect fault may lie with the doctor or the pharmacist.

To file a medical malpractice lawsuit, seek out bodily injury lawyers for legal advice and representation.

Resource Box: For top lawyers in Anchorage Alaska the author recommends the Crowson Law Group.

Sponsor Ads

• Ad Space Available - Rent it Now!

Created on Aug 5th 2020 07:41. Viewed 311 times.

Comments