Medication errors (administering the wrong medication) and prescription errors are on the rise. It has been reported that well over 1.5 million mistakes are made in drugs and medicines that are dispensed annually to patients throughout the country. The Institute of Medicine found in 2006 that at least a quarter of these errors, or 375,000 of them, are preventable.

Many of the mistakes are in the translation of the prescriptions. Work now is being done to have all prescriptions written electronically by 2010, which will correct some of the errors. The report, however, found at least one medication error per day for every hospitalized patient. Serious drug errors can add more than $5,800 to the hospital bill of each patient, according to the study.

There is reported to be more than 10,000 prescription drugs and 300,000 over-the-counter products in this country. Add to that, four out of every five American adults take at least one medication or dietary supplement a day. It is reported nearly a third of U.S. adults takes at least five of these a day. The need to be cautious and correct is vital to every person’s health.

The Experienced Prescription Error Attorneys of Clifford Law

Clifford Law Offices understands the severity of the problem. The lawyers at the firm have experience in product liability and have handled cases dealing with mistakes in dispensing prescription medication.  Hospitals, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and pharmaceutical companies all need to be extremely careful in order to avoid errors with patients. They must take time to explain to consumers information that is necessary for them to take medication properly. 

In litigating these lawsuits, which often arise from product liability claims as well, the firm's malpractice attorneys develop the cases beyond the line of improper treatment, diagnosis and surgery and investigate if medical products and drugs were involved as well as the liability of any health maintenance organization. Two attorneys on staff are also registered nurses who bring an in-depth look in many areas of Illinois medical malpractice law. You can find more information on our experience in hospital malpractice litigation at our page on medical and hospital negligence. Moreover, it is important to note that as a result of our litigation in areas ranging from aviation liability to personal injury and wrongful death, defective products and dangerous practices have been changed or abandoned altogether.

We look forward to putting our experience to work for you. To get started, just use the form on your right to email Clifford Law Offices with some details on your case and a convenient time for us to call. You can also call Clifford Law Offices toll free at 1-800-899-0410 or (312) 899-9090 if you are in the Chicago, Illinois area.

About Medical Malpractice and our Experienced Chicago Medication Error Attorneys

Every member of our firm upholds the highest principle of the legal profession in placing the individual client first. The firm often is said to set the standard in professional excellence. Clifford Law Offices has handled medical malpractice claims involving every medical specialty, and has experienced medication error attorneys. Despite this era of health care change and turmoil, Clifford Law Offices' commitment is unwavering in responding to consumer rights and awareness. Click here to learn more about our work in medical malpractice, and click here to review recent judgments and settlements by our medical malpractice lawyers and prescription error attorneys.

Medication Error Attorney and Prescription Error Attorney Settlements & Judgments

Robert A. Clifford, Timothy S. Tomasik - $16,698,788: Hospital held responsible for independent physician’s negligent administration of spinal anesthesia, causing partial paralysis, incontinence, and other neurological deficits

Keith A. Hebeisen - $3,000,000: 28-year-old husband developed an allergic reaction to a drug which caused a blood clot in his leg which the hospital failed to timely diagnose and treat resulting in an above-knee amputation.

Keith A. Hebeisen - $2,300,000: Doctors failed to discontinue a blood-clotting drug: woman suffers amputation of both legs.

Accolades for Clifford Law Offices

Clifford Law Offices received national first-tier rankings in Plaintiffs' Product Liability Litigation in the 2010 U.S. News-Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" Guide. Thousands of clients and law firms were surveyed by U.S. News-Best Lawyers. This is the first time that a national ranking has been compiled and it was featured in the October print issue of U.S. News & World Report. Robert Clifford, senior and name partner at the firm, was named the 2009 Best Lawyers' Top Personal Injury Attorney in Chicago. The firm also received Metropolitan First-Tier rankings in Plaintiffs' Personal Injury Litigation, Plaintiffs' Product Liability Litigation and Plaintiffs' Medical Malpractice Law in what some have called the most comprehensive view of the U.S. legal profession. Thousands of law firms and clients were surveyed. Robert Clifford has been named a Best Lawyer since the publication's inception in 1983. Kevin Durkin and Keith Hebeisen, partners at the firm, were named Best Lawyers in the 2011 edition. Robert A. Clifford was selected in 2004 as one of the "five most respected and feared plaintiffs' attorneys" in the country by Corporate Legal Times, calling him "the best of the bad." The National Law Journal named Mr. Clifford's firm on the "Plaintiffs' Hot List: 20 Go-To Teams" in 2004 and one of the top 25 firms in 2003. The publication also named Robert Clifford one of the Top Ten Litigators in Illinois as well as one of the nation's Top Ten Litigators. American Lawyer Media recognized Mr. Clifford as one of the Top Ten Most Influential Lawyers in Illinois in 2000. He has consistently been voted by his peers as one of the Best Lawyers in America , and he was named one of Chicago's "30 Toughest Lawyers" by Chicago Magazine in 2002. He was selected to be a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, an invitation-only group of 100 trial lawyers from around the country.