Portland Medication Error Lawyers
Equipped with more than 40 years of combined experience, our attorneys at the Law Office of Robert Beatty-Walters, are respected in the medical malpractice field as attorneys who are willing to tenaciously battle for the rights and health of medical patients.
Situated in Portland, Oregon, we are proud to defend injured patients throughout Multnomah County and Washington. Our founder, Robert Beatty-Walters, knows how to navigate medication error lawsuits based on his experience as an attorney and a registered nurse. For more than 40 years, Robert has been a registered nurse, and he still holds a license to this day, which allows him to provide insight into his clients’ cases that other lawyers and firms are not able to. Additionally, with more than 30 years of legal experience, attorney Robert Beatty-Walters can provide personalized counsel while helping his clients prove their doctor’s negligence caused their suffering.
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What Is Considered A Medication Error In A Medical Malpractice Case?
A medication error occurs when a health care provider, pharmacist, or medical facility makes a preventable mistake involving a prescription or drug administration that causes harm. This can include prescribing the wrong medication, administering an incorrect dosage, failing to consider drug interactions or allergies, or giving a medication to the wrong patient.
How Can Medication Errors Endanger Patients?
Depending on the exact circumstances of the mistake, a medication error can have minor effects or potentially lead to accidental fatalities. For example, if a doctor provides the incorrect medication to a patient, allergic reactions could occur, or the drug could interact with other medicines that the medical worker has prescribed to the patient.
In some instances, doctors may accidentally provide medication to the wrong patient. This can have similar effects as taking incorrect medication, as patients may experience allergic reactions or other complications.
Medical professionals may also provide the wrong dosage of a medication to the patient as well. In this situation, if the doctor gave too little of a certain medication to the patient, the treatment may have no effect. If the medical worker offers too much of a medication, major complications can arise, including organ damage and death.
Certain prescriptions are also designed to be administered in a specific manner. When medications are administered incorrectly, major issues can develop, or the drugs may be completely ineffective.
Finally, medical professionals may fail to administer the medication at all. Forgetting to provide patients with the medication they need can exacerbate the symptoms from which the patient is suffering from.
Can Medication Errors Be Caused By Over-The-Counter Drugs As Well?
Any type of drug can cause medication errors, including over-the-counter substances. If patients are advised to take a certain amount of an over-the-counter medication that exceeds the recommended dose, they could experience severe organ damage due to consuming too much of the substance.
Furthermore, over-the-counter medications can have negative interactions with other prescriptions that the patient may be taking, which can cause additional complications.
If doctors do not take into account the age and health of the patient, further issues may occur due to the fact that older individuals are more at risk of developing medical problems relating to drug interactions.
A lack of communication between the doctor and the patient can also have negative effects. Not discussing over-the-counter medications that the patient is already taking can cause doctors to prescribe drugs they otherwise would not if they had more information at their disposal.
How Can Patients Prevent Errors And Handle Them If They Occur?
In most instances, attempting to prevent a problem before it arises is a much better strategy than simply waiting to resolve an issue until it has already happened. Patients can proactively protect themselves by:
- Being informed
- Understanding current medications
- Coordinating treatment
- Reviewing prescriptions
By being an active participant and trying to understand the treatment that is being provided, patients can identify potential issues even before the medical professionals notice them. If an error does occur, then patients should be sure to speak up immediately. Seeking an explanation from the medical worker is also recommended. Next, patients should begin the process of seeking legal support to ensure this matter is handled appropriately.
How Does The Statute Of Limitations Affect My Ability To File A Medication Error Claim?
Concerning medical malpractice cases, which include medication errors, patients in Oregon have two years from the day of the injury or when the patient should have discovered the injury to file a lawsuit. Washington patients have three years to begin the process of taking legal action. Both states also have a statute of repose, which provides a five-year time frame in Oregon and an eight-year window in Washington in which injured patients can file a lawsuit regardless of when the injury was identified.
What Types Of Medication Errors Most Commonly Lead To Serious Injuries?
Serious injuries often result from incorrect dosages, administering the wrong medication, dangerous drug interactions, failure to account for allergies, and improper administration methods. These errors can lead to organ damage, internal bleeding, neurological injury, or life-threatening reactions.
Who Can Be Held Responsible For A Medication Error?
Liability may rest with doctors, nurses, pharmacists, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, or other health care providers involved in prescribing, dispensing, or administering the medication. In some cases, multiple parties may share responsibility for the error.
Can Pharmacists Be Liable For Medication Errors?
Yes. Pharmacists may be held responsible if they dispense the wrong medication, provide incorrect dosage instructions, fail to catch obvious prescription errors, or overlook known drug interactions. Pharmacists are required to follow professional standards to ensure patient safety.
What If I was Given The Wrong Dosage Or The Wrong Medication?
Receiving the wrong dosage or medication can cause serious harm, even if the error was unintentional. Too much medication can lead to overdose and organ damage, while too little may leave a condition untreated. Either situation may support a medical malpractice claim if negligence was involved.
How Are Medication Errors Proven In A Medical Malpractice Case?
Medication error cases are typically proven through medical records, pharmacy records, expert testimony, and evidence showing that the provider failed to meet the accepted standard of care. Establishing a clear link between the error and the resulting injury is a critical part of the process.
Contact Us: Minimizing The Impact On Innocent Patients
Mistakes happen and consequences often follow. Our attorneys at the Law Office of Robert Beatty-Walters, understand how medication errors occur and know how to hold medical workers responsible for the injuries they cause. Please reach out to our firm today at 503-688-9915 or by emailing us at your earliest convenience.