Boston Pharmacy Errors Lawyer
Pharmacies cater to thousands of different patients at once – many of whom hold multiple prescriptions. Organizing prescriptions, filling them correctly, and giving them to the right customer takes a great deal of planning and communication. A mistake at any level during the prescription process can lead to serious consequences for patients.
If you or a loved one suffered injuries because of a pharmacy error, contact a medical malpractice attorney at Sweeney Merrigan Law to review your case for free with a Boston pharmacy error attorney. Our Boston pharmacy error lawyers have secured millions of dollars for medical malpractice, medication error, and pharmacy mistake clients in the past. We know how to handle these cases, file claims, and create strong arguments on our clients’ behalf. Call (617) 391-9001 today to speak to a pharmacy error lawyer in Boston.
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Why Choose Us?
- We have been a trusted source of information, legal advice and aggressive representation for clients in Boston for more than a decade. Our attorneys build client relationships on trust, confidence and respect.
- We have former Trial Judge of the Year, Hon. Thomas T. Merrigan (Ret.) as a founder at our firm. Massachusetts Lawyer’s Weekly also named us one of the state’s Most Powerful Attorneys.
- We do not charge a cent for our services during Boston pharmacy error lawsuits unless we are successful in achieving the client compensation. Our personal injury firm operates on a contingency fee basis.
What Is Considered a Pharmacy Error?
A pharmacy error can refer to any mistake by a pharmacy in Boston, such as mixing up two patients or incorrectly filling a prescription. In a legal sense, a pharmacy error must be a mistake that a reasonably prudent pharmacist or technician would not have made under the same circumstances to qualify for a medical malpractice lawsuit. Prescribing the wrong drug, recommending the wrong dosage or giving the medication to the wrong patient are examples of common pharmacy errors.
Pharmacy errors are typically preventable. It is the legal responsibility of those in charge of writing and filling prescriptions to prevent common mistakes. Preventing a medication mistake takes adequate communication between doctors and pharmacists, appropriate use of medical technology, sufficient pharmacy staffing, protocols that enforce double-checking prescriptions, clarifications of unclear writing, and patient counseling. Any negligent failure to avoid a preventable pharmacy error could lead to liability on the person at fault.
What Pharmacy Errors Qualify for Lawsuits?
After noticing adverse drug reactions, unexpected side effects, or a general decrease in your health due to a medication you’re taking, examine the possibility of a civil tort. It often takes help from an attorney to pinpoint the pharmacy as the source of the error. Medication mistakes can occur at any level of the prescription ladder, including the prescribing physician, pill manufacturer, pharmacy, and administering nurse. Determining the defendant to be your local Boston pharmacy may take a full-scale investigation.
Common pharmacy errors include:
- Miscommunicating with the doctor’s office
- Incorrectly translating a doctor’s handwriting
- Filling the wrong medication or dosage
- Failing to include proper drug labels
- Giving incorrect usage directions
- Dispensing medications to the wrong person
- Dispensing multiple drugs that can have adverse interactions
If any of these mistakes sound like they could be what caused your recent harms, contact our attorneys. The odds of you having grounds for a claim against the pharmacy are high. Pharmacies around the world owe certain duties of care to patients. These duties include providing due diligence in filling and dispensing prescription drugs. Otherwise, patients won’t get the drugs they need and may take drugs they don’t need. Preventable mistakes can cause severe injuries, illnesses, side effects, drug interactions, and wrongful death.
What If I Am Injured Due to a Pharmacy Medication Error? Who Can Be Held Liable?
A pharmacy medication error in Boston could easily cause serious patient injuries. Allergic reactions, adverse drug interactions, overdoses, drug poisoning and internal bleeding are common examples of health problems a patient could suffer because of a medication mistake. If you or someone you love has injuries because of a pharmacy error in Boston, act quickly to protect your rights.
- Document the mistake. Take photographs of your prescription and the medication bottle, keep copies of your medical documents, and gather any other available evidence.
- Seek medical care. Go to your doctor for an official diagnosis of your ailment. Ask your doctor if the prescription error could be the reason for your symptoms.
- Contact an attorney. Call Sweeney Merrigan Law, LLP for a free consultation about the pharmacy error. Our lawyers may be able to help you hold someone accountable.
The liable party, or defendant, in your pharmacy medication error case will be the party most at fault for causing your injuries and damages. The identity of the defendant will depend on who made the mistake in prescribing and/or administering your medication. Common liable parties for medication mistakes are physicians, nurses, hospitals, drug manufacturers and pharmacies. More than one defendant may share responsibility for your injuries or illness. You may need a lawyer to help you prove liability in a pharmacy error case in Boston.
How to Prove a Pharmacy Error
As the plaintiff during a pharmacy error medical malpractice case in Boston, it will be up to you or your attorney to prove the defendant’s liability. The burden of proof during a civil claim rests with the plaintiff (injured party). The courts will expect you or your attorney to prove through a preponderance of the evidence that the pharmacy (or another defendant) violated a standard of care owed to you as a patient or customer. Your lawyer will need to present clear and convincing evidence that the defendant did not fulfill the required duties of care when prescribing, filling or administering your medication – causing your injuries or damages.
The four required elements of proof during a medical malpractice suit in Massachusetts are duty of care, breach of duty, causation and damages. Types of evidence that could help you win a pharmacy error claim include medical experts, witness testimony, medical records, photographs/videos and data from automated systems, such as computer-generated prescriptions. You will also need to abide by all of Massachusetts’ medical malpractice laws. A lawyer from Sweeney Merrigan Law, LLP can investigate your pharmaceutical error for evidence of negligence or malpractice. Then, your lawyer may be able to represent you during insurance negotiations or a lawsuit in Boston.
How Can a Boston Pharmacy Error Lawyer Help?
Pharmacy errors can derail your recovery, cause adverse side effects, make you incredibly ill, even lead to overdoses and wrongful death. It’s important to seek advice from an attorney as soon as you believe you’ve been the victim of a preventable pharmacy mistake. A lawyer can immediately start working on your case, investigating the pharmacy, and comparing your case to similar ones in the past. The right attorney can assist you with paying for medical bills, preserving and collecting evidence, and building a case against the at-fault party.
Partnering with an experienced personal injury attorney in Boston can give you the tools you need to fight against a major insurance corporation in pursuit of recovery. Insurance claims adjusters will try to minimize your recovery and discount your claim. Retaining a lawyer will even the playing field and give you a much higher chance of securing fair compensation. The Boston pharmacy error attorneys at Sweeney Merrigan Law have more than 60 years of combined experience. One of our lead attorneys is a fourth-generation attorney.
After suffering adverse health effects from what you believe to be a pharmacy error, contact us today. We will listen to your story, launch an investigation into the incident, help you pay for your medical bills, and file your claim within the state’s three-year statute of limitations. We can do everything necessary to help your family during this difficult time. We believe in securing justice against negligent and careless pharmacies in Boston and will work hard to win your case. For more information about how our Boston pharmacy error attorneys can help you, call (617) 391-9001 to set up a free consultation.