Personal Injury Lawyer

Nurses are charged with giving patients the utmost care. When a nurse accidentally gives someone the wrong medication, however, this is a mistake that can injure or even kill their patient. While taking care of patients can be a demanding job, these types of mistakes are never acceptable. If a nurse gives a patient the incorrect medication and they are hurt or even killed, a medical malpractice claim may be filed by the victim or their surviving family.

Administration of Improper Medication

The administration of improper medication happens more often than you might think. According to AARP, a study done in 2017 revealed that over 1.3 million people are injured by medication errors every year in the U.S.

Specific doses are prescribed by doctors to ensure that the medication doesn’t harm the patient. Pharmacists have a strict duty to fill those prescriptions accurately. When a nurse provides a patient with the wrong medication or even the wrong dosage, the results can be disastrous. Some of the effects of the wrong medication or dosage can include:

• Brain damage
• Debilitating pain
• Fatality
• Coma
• Damage to internal organs

These mistakes on any level can greatly injure someone who was improperly administered medication.

Nursing Malpractice Fault

When these types of errors occur, there may be one or more people at fault. Usually, the nurse who administered the drug is at fault. This is definitely the case when a nurse fails to administer the medication as it’s listed on the medical chart.

Nursing malpractice fault may also fall to other medical professionals where the error occurred. This can include:

• The pharmacist for improperly filling the prescription, or giving inadequate instructions to the administering nurse
• The doctor for either prescribing the incorrect drug or dosage or failing to supervise their nurses
• The location where the nurse works. In certain circumstances, employers will be held liable for errors made by their employees. 

Suing the Nurse for Malpractice

If you or a family member have been injured, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit against the nurse who is responsible. While many people may be hesitant to do so, there are many reasons why this may be an option to consider. Not only is it important to make sure that medical professionals are held accountable, but there’s also no reason you should struggle financially due to someone else’s mistake. A medical malpractice claim may help with both of those points.

If you have been injured, or someone you love has been injured as a result of the improper administration of medication, contact an experienced medical malpractice attorney, right away.