Medication Error Lawyer in Montgomery

Were you negatively impacted by a medical professional who made a medication-related error? If you were provided the wrong medication, given an improper dosage, or received a dangerous prescription, there’s no better time to contact a Montgomery medical malpractice lawyer. 

At Wettermark Keith, our attorneys have over 50 years of combined experience. Together, we have recovered more than $1.5 billion in compensation for our clients. As a law firm that has represented 100,000 people and counting, we’ve earned the trust of injured people in Alabama. 

Our team includes former insurance adjusters, insurance lawyers, Social Security adjudicators, and retired detectives. That experience gives us valuable insight when investigating medication error claims. 

What Is a Medication Error?

While not every mistake results in serious harm, some errors result in permanent injuries. In other instances, the patient dies as a result of the error in judgment made by the at-fault person or party. But what is a medication error? 

A medication error happens when a patient receives the wrong prescription, the wrong dose, or the wrong instructions for a medication. In other words, it’s the result of a preventable mistake involving a prescription drug. 

These errors can happen at nearly any point during the treatment process: 

• A physician prescribing the wrong medication
• The pharmacist filling the prescription incorrectly
• Nurses administering medication improperly 

When these mistakes stem from a health care provider’s failure to exercise reasonable care, patients who are injured as a result can pursue compensation due to Alabama’s medical malpractice laws. 

To figure out if a medication error rises to the level of medical negligence, you must review medical records, pharmacy documents, prescribing practices, and medical opinions. You can count on your personal injury lawyers in Montgomery to coordinate this on your behalf. 

Common Types of Medication Errors

Medication mistakes can occur in many different ways, and even what appears to be a small error can have devastating consequences. Let’s take a closer look at examples of what a medication error claim in Montgomery can entail:

• Prescribing the wrong medication
• Dispensing the wrong prescription
• Administering the incorrect dosage
• Giving medication to the wrong patient
• Failing to recognize dangerous drug interactions
• Prescribing medication despite documented allergies
• Miscalculating pediatric dosages
• Failing to monitor patients for adverse reactions
• Providing incorrect instructions about how to take medication
• Delaying necessary medication during hospitalization

Patients often trust that multiple safeguards exist to prevent these types of mistakes. Unfortunately, breakdowns in communication, heavy workloads, documentation errors, or simple carelessness can allow dangerous errors to reach the patient. 

Who’s Responsible for Medication Errors?

Medication error cases are often more complicated than they initially appear because several different parties may have contributed to the mistake. Depending on the circumstances, here’s who can be found responsible in your case:

• Physicians
• Surgeons
• Nurses
• Pharmacists
• Hospitals
• Clinics
• Long-term care facilities
• Emergency rooms
• Urgent care centers
• Other health care providers involved in prescribing or administering medication

For example, a physician may prescribe an inappropriate medication, while a pharmacist notices the mistake but dispenses it anyway. 

In another case, a hospital nurse may administer the wrong medication because patient records were mislabeled or proper verification procedures were ignored. 

Identifying every potentially responsible party requires a thorough investigation, which is an important service offered by experienced attorneys. 

What Must Be Proven in Alabama Medication Error Cases?

Medical malpractice claims involving medication errors are governed by Alabama law, which requires much more than simply showing that a mistake occurred. In general, the lawyer of an injured patient must establish four legal elements before compensation can be awarded.

Health Care Provider Owed a Duty of Care

The patient must first establish that a professional health care relationship existed between the parties.

The Provider Failed to Meet the Standard of Care

The patient must then show that the health care provider failed to provide the level of care that a reasonably competent provider would have delivered under similar circumstances. 

Examples might include prescribing medication without reviewing allergies, failing to verify drug interactions, administering medication improperly, or ignoring accepted safety procedures. 

Medical professionals are often necessary to explain why the provider’s actions fell below accepted medical standards.

The Error Directly Caused the Patient’s Injuries 

It must also be shown that the medication error caused additional harm. This is often a heavily disputed aspect of medical malpractice cases because health care providers can argue that the patient’s underlying medical condition, not the medication error, caused the injury. 

Your attorney will work closely with qualified medical professionals to establish this important connection.

The Patient Suffered Damages

Finally, the injured patient must demonstrate measurable losses resulting from the medication error. These damages often include medical expenses, lost income, physical pain, emotional suffering, future medical treatment, and permanent disabilities. 

What Compensation is Available in Your Case?

Every medication error case is different, and no medication error attorney in Montgomery can promise a particular outcome. However, if medical negligence was the cause of your injuries, you might be able to pursue compensation for both economic and non-economic losses. 

More specifically, these are potential damages available in your case:

• Medical expenses
• Future medical treatment
• Hospital bills
• Rehabilitation costs
• Prescription expenses
• Lost wages
• Reduced earning capacity
• Pain and suffering 
• Emotional distress
• Permanent disability
• Loss of enjoyment of life

When medication errors result in fatal injuries, surviving family members might have legal rights according to Alabama state laws. Your attorney will evaluate the circumstances of your case and explain what types of damages apply to your case.

For Help From Medication Error Attorneys in Montgomery, Contact Wettermark Keith ASAP

If a mistake was made regarding the medication you were prescribed and instructed to take, you shouldn’t have to figure out how to prove that someone else acted with negligence at your expense. Instead, let Montgomery medication error lawyers do so on your behalf.

At Wettermark Keith, our Montgomery medication error attorneys can figure out what happened, collect medical records, request professional opinions, identify everyone who’s responsible for the incident, and pursue the compensation you need to recover. 

It’s More To Us, It’s Personal. You deserve justice in your case, and we have the experience, resources, and dedication to stand up for victims of medical negligence across the state of Alabama. Call us today to learn how our Montgomery medication error law firm can help.