Medication Error Leads to Large Verdict

As the article about prescription errors shows, it is very important to prescribe a patient the right medication. But a recent medication error case reminds us that it is equally important to insure that a correctly prescribed medication is administered correctly.

In this case, a wrongful death lawsuit arose out of the death of a nursing home resident. The nursing home resident suffered from severe arthritis and was prescribed a powerful pain medicine that was given to her through a patch. However, the untrained staff of the nursing home--apparently not realizing how powerful the patches were--did not remove the old patch when applying a new one. Ultimately, the nursing home patient unwittingly overdosed on her pain medication and died of heart failure.

The nursing home resident's family argued in the wrongful death lawsuit that the failure to administer the medicine properly was not quality care, and the jury agreed, returning a verdict against the nursing home for $1 million.

Remember, if you need a personal injury lawyer or a wrongful death lawyer, the lawyers at Dallas law firm Street and Ragsdale are here for you. Contact our lawyers if you'd like free no-obligation assistance with your legal questions.

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