Drug manufacturing, pharmacology, and the process of prescribing drugs require responsible parties to take great care with every step of the process. One of the risks that patients face with medication is the risk of severe allergic reactions to drugs which can cause severe injuries and conditions.
If you or a loved one was given a prescription that caused a severe allergic reaction, you may be entitled to compensation from the negligent parties that caused your harm. Talk to our Miami allergic reaction to medication attorney, Prosper Shaked, today to discuss the potential of filing a lawsuit against the negligent pharmaceutical companies, pharmacists, and doctors that caused your prescription allergic reaction injuries. To schedule a free legal consultation on your case, contact Prosper Shaked Accident Injury Attorneys PA today at (305) 694-2676.
How Do Allergic Reactions to Prescription Drugs Happen?
When a patient is allergic to a drug, it should be noted in their chart and doctors should be aware of this allergy and help patients to avoid severe allergic reactions by avoiding those drugs in their treatment. Prescribing a drug to a patient who is allergic to that drug can lead to severe reactions and symptoms, including fever, drops in blood pressure, trouble breathing, seizures, and unconsciousness. Some of these reactions could result in death if they are not properly treated or there is too much of the drug in the person’s system.
If a doctor prescribes medication to a patient with a known allergy to it, they should clearly have known better and may be liable for any harm you suffer from the reaction to the drug. It is much more common that patients who have bad reactions to a drug did not have a known allergy. In some cases, the doctor may still be negligent if they did not ask the patient about drug allergies or did not perform allergy testing to see if a patient has any drug allergies.
In other cases, the doctor may not be the one at fault for a bad allergic reaction. Some drugs are manufactured or stored alongside other drugs, and pharmaceutical companies or pharmacists may mistakenly contaminate drugs by improperly storing them, improperly cleaning machines and manufacturing devices, or otherwise allowing drugs to come into contact with one another. If someone has a severe allergy, tainting their medication this way may be enough to trigger a reaction, and the responsible party may be held accountable for this contamination.
Pharmacists have some leeway to change drugs from what the doctor prescribes. Pharmacists cannot decide to prescribe a vastly different drug, but Florida law does permit pharmacists to substitute in a cheaper generic version of a drug to help you save money. However, if the doctor intentionally prescribed the brand name drug to avoid potential allergic reactions, substituting a different drug could be catastrophic.
Many other allergic reactions happen because of inactive ingredients or binding and filling agents in a drug. For example, many pills, such as birth control pills, use lactose and milk-derivative products as a binding and filling agent. If you have a severe lactose allergy or severe lactose intolerance, your doctor should avoid these kinds of inactive ingredients when prescribing medication.
Lawsuits for Allergic Reactions to Pharmaceuticals in Florida
If you or a loved one was injured or required additional medical or surgical intervention because a doctor, hospital, pharmacy, or pharmaceutical manufacturer was responsible for causing an allergic reaction to medication, you may be entitled to sue the responsible parties. In many cases, determining which parties are at fault and how they are responsible for the injuries you faced can take time and effort and may require a thorough investigation. The process of taking your case to court and going to trial may require legal counsel to strengthen your case. Miami drug allergic reaction lawyer Prosper Shaked may be able to help investigate and file your case and fight for the financial compensation you deserve.
In a lawsuit against the pharmaceutical company, pharmacy, doctor, or other responsible parties, you can claim damages for the harms you suffered. If you required additional medical care because of the injury, you could face high medical costs, and lasting injuries and effects from the medication error could leave you unable to work. The injuries may also come with substantial pain and suffering, which could deserve substantial compensation. Talk to an attorney about your case and how much your injuries might be worth in a lawsuit.
Call Our Miami Pharmaceutical Allergy Lawyer Today for a Free Legal Consultation
Miami allergic reaction to medication attorney Prosper Shaked represents victims of pharmaceutical errors and serious allergic reactions to medication. For help with your case, contact Prosper Shaked Accident Injury Attorneys PA today to schedule a free legal consultation and learn more about whom you may be entitled to file a lawsuit against and how much your case might be worth. To schedule your free consultation, contact our office today at (305) 694-2676.