When folks in Sacramento get sick they visit a doctor. The doctor will recommend a plan of health which usually includes a prescription of pharmaceutical medications. For those with chronic issues, the doctor’s visits are frequent and repetitive. However, medical negligence can turn this common occurrence into a nightmare.
A patient getting the wrong medicine or the wrong dosage can experience severe complications and even death. Unfortunately, this occurrence happens all too often. News reports show medication errors cause upwards of 200,000 deaths a year and up to 1.5 million health issues and complications. American Health and Drug Benefits, a peer reviewed medical journal, reported in 2012 that preventable adverse drug events (ADEs) or medication errors associated with injectable meds harm over one million people a year and cost hospitals over $600,000 in damages each year.
Injectable medicines and errors that are associated with them are quickly becoming more frequent. These types of mistakes are a prominent cost of the entire healthcare industry and growing rapidly. They are called preventable adverse drug events (ADEs) because due diligence would have most often prevented the mistake from occurring.
Medication errors can also happen at home. Not being entirely sure of the dosage, missing doses and self-adjusting the dosage can all cause serious maladies and even death. Doctors and nurses can also be at fault. The dosage may be wrong on the prescription or the medicines can be the wrong kind.
Reuters Health reported a study of 92 pediatric cancer patients who were being treated at home. There were 72 medication mistakes made among the 92 patients. Most of the errors were small mistakes but this points to the magnitude of the issue and its potential to cause harm or death.
Some research points to a possible solution. Genetic testing may be able to rule out many cases of medical error in medications. Pharmacogenomics uses DNA to determine if a patient will react adversely to a particular medication before it is administered. It can also help determine the best dosage amount.
The state of California has recently fined 10 different hospitals $625,000 for a variety of medical errors. Five patients were discovered to have surgical items left inside their bodies. Clamps, sponges, retractors and a whole slew of medical equipment have been left in human bodies after surgery. Two patients died after falling in the hospital and three patients received bodily harm from medication errors.
Medical errors of any kind, but especially medication errors, can be dangerous and even deadly. Contacting a medical error attorney immediately is essential. Medical error cases take extreme investigation to prove. An experienced attorney is able to conduct penetrating investigations that are able to disclose the information needed to prove negligence.
Medical negligence cases are extremely stressful. People go to doctors to be healed and treated and when they emerge from a trusted doctors care in worse shape than they went in, more damage is done. Physical pain and mental duress are magnified in these types of cases.
The costs of medical negligence cases are astronomical to the victim. In many cases there is a loss of work and income as well as the quality of life. A settlement award is sometimes the only thing between the patient and destitution.
Moseley Collins is an experienced medical error attorney with Christian values. His experience and deep seated morals allow him to represent his clients to the fullest of his abilities. He cares about your case as much as you do. Call today for a consultation on your medical error case and the statute of limitations in California. Call before your time runs out.