Pharmaceutical Attorney in Chicago
Products can be mislabeled resulting in improper use. Bad test results may be concealed from the public, while the drug is released anyway.
The amount of pharmaceutical drugs we use on a regular basis is unprecedented. You expect the pills you take to treat whatever is making you ill. The pharmaceutical industry is a giant industry. They invest staggering amounts of money into new medications. When medicines do not receive adequate testing, or are rushed into the market, serious injury or death can occur. Drug companies may be unaware of potential long-term side effects. If you have been injured due to a prescription or over-the-counter medicine, you may be entitled to compensation.
Pharmaceutical Injuries
Products can be mislabeled resulting in improper use. Bad test results may be concealed from the public, while the drug is released anyway. When negligence or criminal mistakes are made, injuries will occur including:
- Heart attacks
- Organ damage or failure
- Harmful side effects
- Insufficient or excessive dosage
- Strokes
- Diabetes
- Increase in blood pressure
- Suicidal depression
- Death
Medicinal Mistrust
When something goes wrong with your body, or illness sets in, you take medicines. You put your faith in doctors, pharmacists and the pharmaceutical companies that create the products. Your health, well-being and life are in their hands. When mistakes occur, you can be seriously injured. You will need someone who can fight for the compensation you deserve. You need an experienced professional from Willens & Baez.
Improper Drug Dosage
If you or a loved one has been harmed by a medication dosing error, you may be able to get help dealing with the financial consequences. Medication errors are one of the most common types of medical malpractice, affecting at least 1.5 million Americans every year, and resulting in serious injury or even death.
Unlike some other types of medical malpractice, drug dosing is almost always a clear case of medical error, and may be compensated with a medical malpractice lawsuit. To learn more about your legal rights and options, please call 312-957-4166 today for a free initial consultation.
Prevalence of Drug Dosing Errors
Drug dosing errors occur when you or a loved one is given the wrong amount of a prescription medication. It seems like this should never happen, but it is a relatively common form of medical malpractice. A study of pediatric prescriptions for outpatients, for example, found that 15% of all prescriptions were given at the wrong dose. For small children (about 20 lbs or less), the wrong dose was given more than 33% of the time, and more than 1% of children received medication dosed at twice the recommended maximum dose.
Overall, drug dosing errors seem to account for about 20% of all medication errors, based on studies published in the Journal of Patient Safety and the journal Critical Care Medicine.
Causes of Medication Dosing Errors
Medication dosing errors are preventable, but they persist because they are caused by many different people in the prescription process. They can be caused by:
- Doctor prescribing the wrong dose
- Doctor writing the wrong dose
- Doctor writing the right dose, but it is read incorrectly (as in 1.0 mg read as 10 mg)
- Pharmacist or other dispenser selecting the wrong dose medication
- Medication given too frequently or not frequently enough based on metabolism
Sometimes these are the result of only one person’s error. Other times they are caused directly or indirectly by many people in a hospital system.
Why Willens & Baez
We understand medical malpractice and pharmaceutical drug cases. We have years of experience assisting people throughout Chicago to obtain the compensation they need to recover. Often these cases are settled through a class action. Having a lawyer that makes sure you get your fair settlement from a class action is critical. Depending on the specifics of your injury, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, loss of consortium, lost wages, loss of opportunities, emotional distress, and pain and suffering. When you call Willens Law, you get a professional lawyer who is dedicated to your case. If you or someone you love has been injured, call Willens Law for your free initial consultation. We will sit down with you and review your case. With Willens & Baez, you will receive the representation you need and deserve.
