The Hamideh Firm, P.C. represents victims who have suffered injuries as a result of errors in drug prescriptions or defective medical devices,
If you or a loved one has been a victim of an incorrect prescription or a defective medical device, contact experienced personal injury lawyers at The Hamideh Firm, P.C. in Los Angeles online or by calling (310) 556-9687.
The incorrect prescription of drugs occurs when doctors or nurse practitioners (prescribers) give patients the wrong medications. This may occur in a number of different situations, including the following:
- Careless prescribing, when prescribers make badly written and illegible prescriptions that may lead to drug confusion;
- Prescribing adult strength tablets instead of children’s strength when the children’s strength dose is needed;
- At hospitals where potent drugs are used for treatment. The factors known to contribute to serious drug errors include:
- Staffing patterns that interfere with continuity and consistency of care for both doctors and nurses. This occurs when doctors have short-term rotations through specialist units, or when there is a necessity for inexperienced doctors to cross-cover specialist units because of staff shortages due to leave, illness, or from the required reduction in junior phsician hours without an increase in staff;
- Physical and emotional exhaustion from working long periods without sleep;
- The increasing complexity and potency of modern treatments;
- Inappropriate delegation of specialized treatment procedures to relatively junior and inexperienced staff;
- Failure to identify certain drugs for any adverse reactions; and
- Inadequate or nonexistent systems for cross-checking potent drug doses between doctors and nurses;
- Mistakenly giving Patient 1 the medication meant for Patient 2.
- Miscalculating drug reactions. Prescribers must be familiar with a drug manufacturer’s instructions and known side-effects of drugs. Prescribers should not rely just on the manufacturer’s information, because manufacturers may provide incomplete information about the risks associated with their products.
The purpose of a medical device is to improve a person’s medical condition. When a person suffers a major injury or wrongful death due to a defective medical device, the parties responsible should be held accountable for their actions.Defective medical device lawsuits may arise when a patient is exposed to hazardous and defective products as a result of a manufacturing or design flaw. As a result, the product manufacturer, distributor, and/or retailer may be held legally responsible for any injuries that occurred.
What Kinds of Medical Products Might Be Defective?
Injuries a victim may suffer from a defective medical device can vary, depending on the kind of medical device used and the victim’s medical condition. Some of the more common defective products and associated injuries include the following:
- Dental sealants: Some users have tested positive for zinc poisoning and have experienced a variety of neurological disorders;
- Intrauterine devices: The defects found in these devices have resulted in high occurrences of pelvic disease in women;
- Breast implants (silicone): Implant ruptures have been connected to the development of fibromyalgia and other major illnesses;
- Parts associated with a hip replacement: There have been a number of defects in various hip replacement parts that have caused victims to suffer pain and chromium poisoning, requiring multiple corrective surgeries; and
- Stents: The defects found in stents have been shown to cause blood clots, heart attacks, pulmonary embolisms, strokes, and even death in some individuals.
Did a prescriber incorrectly prescribe you medication? Did you receive a defective medical device? If so, consult The Hamideh Firm, P.C. online or at (310) 556-9687 a free case evaluation and consultation.