Why Hire The Atlanta Medication Error Lawyers at Julie A. Rice, Attorney at Law, & Affiliates?
Making the difficult decision to place a loved one in a nursing home is a heavy burden. In such a vulnerable setting, you expect the highest standards of care, especially when it comes to something as critical as medication management. However, the unfortunate reality is that medication errors in nursing homes happen far too often, leading to severe consequences for residents. At Julie A. Rice, Attorney at Law, & Affiliates, we are here to help you understand your legal rights and options and seek compensation for the harm endured due neglect in an assisted living facility in Atlanta.
What is a Medication Error?
A medication error, in legal terms, is a mistake made when a medication is being prescribed, prepared, or administered to a patient resulting in the patient being harmed in some way. In the context of a nursing home, medication errors typically fall into two categories: prescription errors and errors made during medication administration.
Prescription Errors
Prescription errors can encompass various mistakes:
- Misdiagnosis: The process may begin with an incorrect diagnosis, leading to the prescription of the wrong medication from the start.
- Prescribing the wrong medicine: Even with a correct diagnosis, a doctor can make a mistake by prescribing the wrong medication due to confusion, miscommunication, or simply failing to consider the patient’s specific needs.
- Disregarding the patient’s medical history: Failing to review a patient’s medical history can result in the prescription of medications that interact negatively with other drugs or conditions.
- Dispensing the Wrong Dosage: Even if the right medication is prescribed, errors can occur when dispensing the wrong dosage, putting residents at risk.
Errors Made During Medication Administration
Mistakes during medication administration are equally concerning. Common examples include:
- Errors when administering medication: Nursing staff may make errors when administering medication, such as providing the wrong dosage or administering it through the wrong route.
- Giving residents medications at the wrong time: Timeliness is crucial in medication administration, and deviations from the prescribed schedule can lead to errors.
- Errors when preparing a drug: Some medications require special preparation, and any deviation from these guidelines can result in errors.
- Intentional acts of abuse: In some rare cases, nursing home staff may intentionally misuse medications to restrain or harm residents.
Common Causes of Medication Errors in Nursing Homes
Understanding the root causes of medication errors is vital in preventing them. Some common systemic causes are as follows:
- Understaffing: Overworked and fatigued staff members are more prone to making errors.
- Inadequate training: Staff must receive comprehensive training in medication management.
- Negligent hiring: Failing to conduct thorough background checks can lead to unqualified personnel handling medications.
- Lack of communication between healthcare professionals: Effective communication among all members of the healthcare team is vital to ensure that everyone involved in a resident’s care is aware of and aligned with medication plans.
- Faulty information systems: Technological errors, such as glitches in electronic medical record systems, can result in medication errors.
A medication error can result in a wide range of adverse consequences, including death. Nursing homes have a responsibility to ensure medication safety at every step of the care process. If a medication error results in harm to a resident, the parties involved in prescribing, preparing, and administering the medication, as well as the nursing home itself, may be held liable for the victim’s damages.
Evidence Needed for a Successful Medication Error Claim
Gathering the right evidence is crucial for a successful medication error lawsuit. This may include the victim’s medical records, test results, prescriptions, the samples of the medication that was administered, testimony of medical experts, and the testimony of the victim themselves.
In addition, you will generally need to establish the following elements:
- The medical professional or facility owed you or your loved one a duty of care
- The defendant breached this duty of care by committing a medication error
- The defendant’s breach was the direct cause of the medication error
- You or your loved one suffered injuries and losses as a result of the medication error
Various parties can be held liable for a medication error in a nursing home, including the prescribing doctor, nurses, the pharmacist, other staff members involved in the medication process, and even the pharmaceutical company when a defect in the drug, its marketing, or its packaging contributed to the error.
A successful nursing home medication error claim can result in compensation for various damages, including:
- Medical expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Any resulting disability or impairment
- Loss of quality of life
- Wrongful death
How Our Atlanta Medication Error Lawyers Can Help
Our experienced Atlanta medication error lawyers can assist you in any nursing home abuse claim by:
- Conducting a thorough investigation into the medication error
- Proving fault and liability for the error
- Evaluating the extent of your damages, including physical, emotional, and financial
- Gathering the necessary evidence to support your lawsuit
- Filing a medication error claim on your behalf
- Negotiating for a fair settlement with the responsible parties
- Filing a nursing home abuse lawsuit if a settlement cannot be reached
Our Atlanta medication error lawyers can also help you seek medical care to address the adverse consequences of medication error.
Call Julie A. Rice, Attorney at Law, & Affiliates for a Free Consultation with an Atlanta Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Today
If you or a loved one has suffered due to a medication error in a nursing home in Atlanta, do not hesitate to seek legal help from our personal injury lawyers in Atlanta. Contact Julie A. Rice, Attorney at Law, & Affiliates at 770-865-8654 or reach us online for a free case review. We are committed to fighting for justice and holding those responsible for medication errors in nursing homes in Atlanta accountable.