Chicago Medication Error Lawyer
Medication errors are always preventable. Patients rely on health care providers to provide a reasonable standard of care when prescribing, dispensing, or administering medication. If you or your loved one suffered harm from taking prescribed medication, our medication error lawyers in Chicago can determine whether medical malpractice is to blame. If so, we can help you pursue substantial compensation. Call us today at (312) 332-2872.
Quick Links
- Why Choose Levin & Perconti for Your Medication Error Case?
- How Do Medication Errors Happen?
- What Compensation Can You Recover From A Medication Error Lawsuit?
- Who Can Be Held Liable in a Medication Error Claim?
- What Is the Time Limit to File a Medication Error Case?
- Frequently Asked Questions About Medication Error Lawsuits
- Harmed by a Medication Error? Contact Our Chicago Medication Error Lawyers
Why Choose Levin & Perconti for Your Medication Error Case?
If a health care professional made mistakes with your medication and you suffered harm as a result, our team is ready to help you fight for justice. Since 1992, our trusted attorneys have recovered over $1 billion in verdicts and settlements, securing the compensation our clients need and deserve.
Our Chicago medication errors lawyers can handle every step of your case, including:
- Identifying the health care providers who made the mistakes
- Collecting crucial evidence to prove negligence
- Protecting you against large insurance and drug companies that may treat you unfairly
- Using our nationwide network of medical professionals to build and strengthen your case
- Negotiating a fair settlement that reflects the full scope of your losses
- Taking your case to court when necessary
John Perconti, our firm’s co-founder, is a national leader in medical malpractice claims due to his extensive experience in state and federal courts and in-depth knowledge of complex medical issues.
Our Notable Case Results for Medication Errors
- $5.25 million settlement for failure to treat Warfarin-induced bleeding. Warfarin was first given to him following the development of a pulmonary embolism he had when he underwent knee surgery. He expressed concern that there may be an interaction between the Tylenol he was taking and the Anticoagulant, reporting that he had blood in his urine, to which he was worked up to infection. By the time doctors acted on the problem, the patient required an emergency tracheostomy, which he needed for the remainder of his life. The tracheostomy caused the patient to contract pneumonia multiple times before passing away.
- $3.6 million settlement for the family of a 26-year-old man who passed away after being given succinylcholine, an anesthetic that should not be used in patients with high potassium levels. The medication caused his potassium to rise even further, leading to cardiac arrest and death.
- $925,000 settlement for our client who sustained ulnar nerve injury and the development of complex regional pain syndrome to the right forearm & hand. The medical professional inserted a needle too aggressively and too deep during a blood draw.
- $650,000 settlement against a pharmacy and a doctor who failed to provide the victim with new medication dosing instructions after the doctor changed the dose of his regular medication. As a result, he suffered toxicity and died as a result of this negligence.
- $200,000 settlement for a client who received improper dosage leading to death.
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How Do Medication Errors Happen?
Medication errors occur when health care providers fail to follow best practices or meet the standard of care at any point in the prescribing, dispensing, or administering process. The standard of care is the benchmark of care owed to a patient that determines whether the practitioner’s legal duty has been met. Failing to exercise reasonable care could mean the provider was negligent and may be held liable.
Different types of medication errors include:
- Wrong medication prescribed or administered
- Incorrect dosage of medication
- Wrong method of administration
- Unsafe drug combinations
- Failure to prescribe necessary medication
- Giving medication to the wrong patient
- Emergency room errors
Common Causes of Medication Errors
Medication errors are one of the most frequent yet preventable causes of patient injury. Common prescribing errors that could lead to a prescription error lawsuit may include misdiagnosis, failure to review a patient’s full medical history, and not considering drug interactions before prescribing.
Dispensing errors can also result in serious harm to patients. Examples include pharmacy mistakes, confusing labels, unclear instructions, or illegible prescriptions from the practitioner.
Other causes of medication malpractice involve administrative errors. Understaffing, charting errors, practitioner or staff member fatigue, and equipment failures could lead to improper medication dosing, dispensing, or administration.
What Compensation Can You Recover From A Medication Error Lawsuit?
Compensation for medication errors may include economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are compensation for the monetary losses you experience due to your injuries. Non-economic damages are the subjective losses that the injuries cause. The table below shows examples of economic and non-economic damages.
| Economic Damages | Non-Economic Damages |
|---|---|
| Medical expenses | Physical pain |
| Projected future medical expenses | Emotional distress |
| Lost wages | Loss of bodily functions |
| Lost future earning capacity | Loss of enjoyment of life |
| Lost business opportunities | Loss of society |
| Domestic services | Inconvenience |
If your loved one passed away because of a medication error, you may be able to recover compensation for your loved one’s pain and suffering and your family’s losses, such as lost inheritance, loss of your loved one’s income, funeral expenses, and loss of companionship.
Our dedicated Chicago medication error attorneys won’t settle for less than you deserve. Call us today at (312) 332-2872 to find out how much we can recover for you.
Who Can Be Held Liable in a Medication Error Claim?
Every case is different, and who is held accountable for a medication error depends on the circumstances that led to the mistake. Because there are many medical professionals who may have been involved throughout your care, there may also be more than one practitioner who is legally responsible for what happened.
Examples of parties that may be liable for medication errors include:
Prescribing Doctors
Doctors who write prescriptions may prescribe the wrong drugs, the wrong dosages, or fail to recognize potential drug interactions when prescribing medication. The prescribing doctors could be general practitioners, specialists, surgeons, anesthesiologists, or other types of doctors.
Nurses
Nurses are often responsible for administering medication and can make errors during this process. This may include giving the wrong drugs, administering the wrong dosage, misidentifying the patient, or failing to monitor the patient for adverse reactions.
Pharmacists or Pharmacies
If a pharmacist fills the wrong prescription, gives the wrong dosing, or fails to provide adequate instructions or warnings, they could be considered negligent. The pharmacy itself can be liable for issues such as understaffing, inadequate training, or poor safety protocols that lead to errors.
Hospitals
Hospitals may be liable for a practitioner’s negligence within their facility if it results in medication malpractice. This could also apply to other health care facilities, including surgery centers and birthing centers.
Nursing Homes
Our nursing home abuse lawyers in Chicago have seen how medication errors in nursing homes can have devastating results for vulnerable residents. Nursing facilities that do not follow protocols, are understaffed, or employ unqualified staff may be liable for medication errors that are connected to these issues.
Medical malpractice insurance companies often try to blame the victim or shift fault away from their clients to minimize their payouts. You can count on our pharmaceutical error lawyers to defend you against such tactics, so nothing keeps you from recovering the compensation you’re entitled to.
What Is the Time Limit to File a Medication Error Case?
The Illinois medical malpractice statute of limitations is two years from the date of the error or the date you discover the error. Regardless of when you discover the injury, you must file your claim no later than four years after the health care provider committed the error.
Within 90 days of filing your claim, you must file an affidavit of merit, a sworn statement by a licensed health care provider that your claim is reasonable. We have experts in our network who can meet this requirement for you.
Don’t wait to contact an attorney about your medical malpractice claim. The statute of limitations is not always straightforward, and if you miss the deadline, you will lose your right to pursue damages forever. Contact us now for a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Medication Error Lawsuits
What Is The Process of Filing A Medication Error Lawsuit?
How Much Will a Medication Malpractice Lawsuit Cost Me?
How Much Money Can I Recover For My Medication Negligence-Related Injuries?
Can I Sue a Pharmacy for a Prescription Error?
You can sue a pharmacy for a prescription error only if the mistake caused actual harm or measurable damages. Simply receiving the wrong medication typically isn’t enough for a successful lawsuit if you didn’t take it or if it caused no negative effects. To recover compensation, you must prove the pharmacy’s negligence directly led to damages like physical injury, medical expenses, or lost wages.
Harmed by a Medication Error? Contact Our Chicago Medication Error Lawyers
When a medication error occurs, the effects can be devastating to victims and their families. These errors can result in serious medical complications and may even cause death. Victims should understand their rights to ensure they receive fair and reasonable compensation for their injuries or loss.
The Chicago injury lawyers at Levin & Perconti have represented numerous clients who suffered serious personal injuries due to medication errors and have recovered notable compensation on their behalf, including a $650,000 settlement against a Chicago-area doctor, medical group, and pharmacy.
If you believe you or a loved one may have a medication error case in Illinois, please call us for a FREE consultation at (877) 374-1417 or (312) 332–2872 or contact us online.
Legally Reviewed by
Bonamarte, IV
Read Bio
Since 2005, Michael Bonamarte IV has been a passionate advocate for victims of negligent conduct, corporate malfeasance, and medical malpractice. He has won numerous awards and recognitions, including Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers’ Rising Star. He has presented for the American Association for Justice, the AAJ Nursing Home Litigation Group, the John Marshall Law School, and numerous other legal associations. He regularly lectures at Chicago-area aging organizations about nursing home abuse. His writings have been published by the American Bar Association, the Chicago Daily Bulletin, and numerous other prestigious publications.
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Notable Results
for failure to properly read pap smears, resulting in the misdiagnosis of cervical cancer and eventual death of a 35-year-old mother of three children.
for failing to biopsy a known breast tumor, resulting in the delay of diagnosis of breast cancer, causing death.
for failing to perform an annual pelvic exam, which resulted in the untimely diagnosis of ovarian cancer.
Have You or a Loved One Been Harmed Because of a Medication Error?
When a medication error occurs, the effects can be devastating to victims and their families. These errors can result in serious medical complications and may even cause death. Victims should understand their rights to ensure they receive fair and reasonable compensation for their injuries or loss.
The Chicago injury lawyers at Levin & Perconti have represented numerous clients who suffered serious personal injuries due to medication errors and have recovered notable compensation on their behalf, including a $650,000 settlement against a Chicago-area doctor, medical group, and pharmacy.
If you believe you or a loved one may have a medication error case in Illinois, please call us for a FREE consultation at (877) 374-1417 or (312) 332–2872 or contact us online.
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