It’s absolutely heartbreaking when a person takes medicine that was designed to help them feel better but instead, it causes a life-changing injury or even death. If certain factors are present such as negligence, foreseeability, or errors in labels or instructions, a drug injury lawsuit may be possible. First, let’s discuss what constitutes a drug injury.
What is a drug injury?
A drug injury is an injury or death caused by prescription or over the counter medication. To make it eligible for a drug injury lawsuit, it must be proven that the party liable could have prevented the event from happening if correct actions were taken.
Who is liable for my drug injury?
Drug manufacturers, physicians, and pharmacists are among the most common parties liable for drug injuries. Medications can be defective and slip through the cracks, reach the masses improperly labeled, or be mishandled at the pharmacy level. The first thing to confirm is if the action was preventable.
What are some tips to avoid a drug injury?
Many times, a drug injury is unavoidable at the patient level, but keep in mind these personal best practices to avoid a drug injury.
Pharmacy consult
Georgia law mandates that pharmacists must offer a consultation at the time of prescription pickup. Take advantage of this and make sure you know everything you need to about the medication you are receiving.
Physician consult
Similarly, your prescribing physicians should disclose why your prescribed what you are, how it will interact with other medications, and how to properly take the prescription. Be sure you know these facts before getting your prescription filled.
Properly store prescriptions
If the labeling says to refrigerate, keep your medication in the refrigerator for proper storage. If not, be sure to store the medication in a cool, dry place that children cannot access.
Check packaging & pills
Be sure to check all labeling information such as prescription name, warnings, and dosages before leaving the pharmacy. The labeling could be damaged not allowing you to read important information about your prescription.
What will I recover in a drug injury lawsuit?
Based on the case and who we are prosecuting, you could potentially recover anything from coverage of future medical costs, pain and suffering, lost income during downtime, or in extreme cases, funeral and burial costs.
What do I do if myself or some I know suffers a drug injury or death?
It is crucial for a highly skilled trial attorney to help you determine the extent of your drug injury and the effect on your quality of life. As a experienced trial lawyer, Gregory Bushway can fight for you and obtain the full value of your case.
Give our drug injury lawyer a call at 478-621-4995 to schedule a drug injury lawsuit consultation.