New York Medication Error Attorneys
More Than 30 Years of Fighting Hard and Winning Big For Injured New Yorkers
When we get sick, we rely on the medication prescribed to us to make us feel better. While this is true most of the time, in other situations the very medication that is supposed to make us feel better actually makes us even sicker. Medical prescription drug errors committed by doctors and pharmacists account for approximately 1.5 million incidences of illness and deaths each year in the United States. These numbers are alarming considering that most, if not all, medication errors are preventable.
If you have been injured as result of a medication error, you have legal options. Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C. is a personal injury law firm that is dedicated to obtaining compensation for individuals suffering from illnesses or injuries due to prescription drug and medication error. We have what it takes to successfully handle your claim, while providing you and your family with the support that you need.
What Are Medication Errors?
According to the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error and Prevention (NCCMERP), a mediation error is defined as:
“…any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm, while the medication is in the control of the healthcare professional, patient or consumer. Such events may be related to professional practice, health care products, procedures, and systems including prescribing; order communication; product labeling; packaging and nomenclature; compounding; dispensing; distribution; administration; education; monitoring; and use.”
Medication Errors: A Preventable Problem
Many mistakes and errors are just that: a mistake that is mostly unavoidable. However, statistics show that 90 percent of medication errors and mistakes can be avoided if the correct procedures are followed by healthcare professionals. Nevertheless, thousands of patients continue to suffer the serious consequences of these preventable mistakes. Medication errors happen for various reasons, including:
- The doctor’s illegible handwriting
- Incorrect prescriptions
- Similarity between the names of prescription drugs
The most common types of medication errors involve:
- Administration of the wrong medication
- Administration of the wrong dose of medication
- Providing the wrong directions for the use of the medication
These mistakes can be easily prevented or reduced if the physicians and pharmacists carefully screen the patient’s current drug intake, past medical history and other health issues that could affect the patient’s ability to tolerate and process the prescribed medication. If you or a loved has suffered serious injuries or even died as a result of medication error, it is important to know that you have certain rights against possibly the following parties:
- Doctor
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacist technician
- Nurses
- Hospital
- Other healthcare professionals responsible for your injuries
The Cost of Medication Error
Medication errors are much more prevalent and more costly than most of us think. The added medical costs for the treatment of drug-related injuries in hospitals alone are estimated to be at least $3.5 billion each year. This estimate does not take into account other financial damages, such as loss of wages and productivity, additional health care costs, pain and suffering and emotional trauma. With the number of prescription medicine bottles in the average person’s medicine cabinet, these numbers are cause for concern.
One of the most significant factors in the number of prescription drug side effects is the fast pace at which drugs are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). All it takes is a few minutes in front of the television or reading a magazine to come across several new drugs that have recently hit the market. The FDA is constantly lobbied by drug manufacturers to quickly approve drugs. However, it has been proven that when the FDA acquiesces to the pressure from drug companies, many drugs are often approved prematurely and with too many side effects.
Consequences of Medication Errors
Prescription medication errors have serious consequences that can lead to additional medical treatment, serious injury or even the death of the patient. Medication is designed to provide relief and heal us when we are sick. However, when medication errors occur, the results can be catastrophic and fatal.
Some common injuries caused by medication errors include:
- Internal bleeding
- Kidney damage
- Liver damage
- Brain injury
- Permanent disability
- Severe chemical burns to the digestive system
- Coma
- Wrongful death
If you or a loved one has been further injured as a result of your physician or pharmacist making an error in prescribing or administering the wrong prescription or prescription dosage, you may be entitled to compensation. Our expert legal team has the experience, knowledge and financial resources to properly investigate the facts of your case and hold the right parties accountable for your injuries.
Experienced New York Medication Error Attorneys Who Can Help You
Experience means everything if you or a loved one has suffered a serious illness as a result of a prescription medication error. You need New York medication error attorney who can provide you with experienced and effective representation to help you obtain the full compensation that you deserve.
The experience and knowledge of the New York medication error attorneys at Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C. allows our firm to provide comprehensive representation to fully investigate and uncover the negligent parties. We can help victims who are affected by medication errors related to the:
- Failure to administer medication
- Failure to prescribe proper medicine
- Administering medication incorrectly
- Failure to gain a complete medical history to detect allergies or intolerance
Call Us Today
Providing compassion and aggressive legal representation sets Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C. apart from other personal injury law firms. Without the assistance of a legal team that specifically handles medication errors, you may not get the fair compensation that you deserve for your injuries and losses. We can provide the experience, strategy and commitment that yield results.
If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a medication error, you may be entitled to compensation and benefits. For more information or to schedule a free consultation with an experienced medication error attorney at Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C., please call (212) 385-4410.
