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Can I Sue My Doctor for an Opioid Prescription?

| Jul 3, 2017 | Medical Malpractice

Opioids are drugs that relieve pain. While they have many uses, doctors are starting to prescribe them in quantities that can harm patients. Some of the most powerful opioid drugs, such as Fentanyl, should only be used in extreme cases of chronic and severe pain. Many doctors, however, are prescribing it to patients for short-term, post-surgery pain. If you suffer a medical condition from your doctor’s prescription, or your loved one dies from an overdose, can you sue for medical malpractice?

You Can Sue If the Prescription Causes a Drug Addiction

If your doctor prescribes opioid drugs and you become addicted, you may be able to sue for medical malpractice. You must prove, however, that your doctor breached his or her duty of care in prescribing the opioid drugs. For example, if you are a recovering drug addict and fail to tell your doctor, you may not be able to sue because the doctor wasn’t aware of your condition. If you do tell your doctor and he or she still prescribes opioids, you can sue for medical malpractice and prove the doctor acted carelessly in prescribing you an addictive drug.

You Can Sue If the Prescription Causes Other Health Problems

If you develop a health condition because of your opioid prescription, you may be able to pursue a medical malpractice lawsuit. You doctor is responsible for monitoring your condition regularly to ensure you are not suffering harmful side effects from the opioid drugs. If you tell your doctor you are experiencing respiratory problems, weakness, fainting, or other issues that are side effects of opioid drugs, and your doctor fails to act, you can sue.

You Can Sue If the Prescription Causes a Fatal Overdose

Opioid drugs work by slowing down the body’s respiratory, immune, and digestive systems. Too much, and your body can shut down, resulting in a fatal overdose. If your doctor prescribed opioid drugs to your loved one and it caused an overdose, you can sue for medical malpractice. There is great risk in using opioids excessively, and doctors have a responsibility to prescribe safe amounts for patients. If a person dies from an overdose of an opioid prescription, family members can sue the doctor to seek compensation.

Call Our Toledo Medical Malpractice Lawyers Today at (419) 719-5195.

In order to pursue a medical malpractice claim, you must prove the negligence of your healthcare provider. Doctors owe a reasonable duty of care to patients, and if they breach this care by recklessly overprescribing opioids, they should be held responsible. If you or a loved one have suffered from a careless opioid prescription, our attorneys at Williams DeClark Tuschman Co., L.P.A. can represent you tenaciously in court.

Contact us today for a free consultation.

 

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