Medical Malpractice Prescription Errors
The primary factor for every medical malpractice case is whether the doctor was negligent in their duties or behavior, which then led to a patient being harmed. Negligence is not just about committing a mistake, it means that another competent medical professional would not have made the same error. Receiving an undesired medical update or diagnosis does not automatically mean there is grounds for a lawsuit. The treating doctor may not have made any mistakes, it’s just that the outcome wasn’t what the patient was hoping for.
There are a multitude of oversights that a medical professional may commit, but prescription errors are among the most prevalent. There are many ways that a doctor could be viewed as negligent, especially if any of the following are true:
- Providing medication that was meant for another patient
- Prescribing the wrong medication
- Prescribing the wrong dosage for the medication
- Not warning patients about potential side effects
- Failing to catch allergic reactions
- Failing to catch harmful drug interactions
- Providing unnecessary medication due to misdiagnosis
Medical malpractice is often an emotional and complex case. The patient may have suffered from a worsened condition, new symptoms, or passed away because of the error. It is recommended that victims and/or their families consult with a lawyer for further assistance before taking action. During the consultation, a lawyer will assess if the four elements of medical malpractice cases are present:
- A medical relationship existed
- The doctor was negligent
- There is proof that negligence caused the problem
- The patient was injured due to the negligence
As our medical malpractice lawyer friends from Ward & Ward Law Firm would probably also suggest, those who aren’t sure if they have a case for medical malpractice are encouraged to learn more so, they can make a confident decision about whether to file a lawsuit.
