Medication Errors

Medication errors in Miami and across Florida can occur in any medical setting – from doctor’s offices to pharmacies. They can be especially a problem in emergency rooms, however, where doctors and staff may not be familiar with a patient's medical history and in situations where there is a lot of stress and hurry.

Despite the busyness of emergency departments, however, medical staff are required to provide a high level of care, and this means checking medications before administering them. If a medication error has caused you injuries or complications, you may have a medical malpractice claim in Miami or your community. Compensation from your claim can help you pay for additional medical costs, lost income, and other expenses you may face because of your injury. To find out more about your legal rights, you can always reach the Flaxman Law Group to schedule a free accident consultation to discuss your situation with a personal injury attorney.

Medication errors can involve under dosing, overdosing, administering the wrong medication, or administering the medication intended for one patient to another patient. Medication errors in Miami and South Florida emergency rooms and clinical settings can occur for a number of reasons:

• Understaffing and temporary staffing. A study from Johns Hopkins University, led by Dr. Julius Cuong Pham, found that temporary staff were twice as likely as permanent staff to make medication errors.
• Lack of pharmacists on staff.
• Lack of communication with patients.
• Not checking patient dosages, allergies, and current medications.
• Mix-ups in patient information.
• Miscommunication in treatment processes.
• Lack of notations about allergies and medication already administered.

If you have been injured by a pharmacy or medication error that was caused by negligence or recklessness, you may be able to file a personal injury claim in Miami or your community. In Florida, however, there is a two-year statute of limitations on medical malpractice claims. This means that you have only two years from the time of your injury (or the time you should have learned of your injury) to file a claim. In addition, insurance companies can evaluate your claim for six months before you can file a legal claim. For both these reasons, it is imperative to speak with a personal injury attorney in Miami or your South Florida community immediately after you realize you may have a claim. Even if you are not certain you want to file a legal claim, it is important to speak with an attorney in order to determine what your rights and options are.

If you're looking for an experienced medical malpractice attorney in Miami or anywhere in South Florida, you can always arrange a free, no obligation consultation with the Flaxman Law Group by calling 866-352-9626 or by using the law firm's website to arrange for a case evaluation. The Flaxman law group is a full-service law firm and the legal staff there has more than 25 years of experience helping medical malpractice and personal injury victims across South Florida.