Although this particular case did not occur in the state of Kentucky, it very well could have here or anywhere else in the country. A nursing home has been named in a wrongful death lawsuit over the death of one of its patients due to a purported overdose of prescription medication. Medication errors are all too common in hospitals and long-term care facilities and can be the result of doctor or pharmacy errors or a nurse or other healthcare provider administering the wrong dosage or drug to a patient.
One family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit over the January 2011 death of their loved one at a nursing home facility in Chicago. The lawsuit claims that two doctors prescribed an inappropriate combination and dosage of medications resulting in the patient’s death. The lawsuit claims the nursing home staff and facility were negligent when excessive and incorrect doses of prescription medication were administered and failed to properly monitor the patient and report her condition.
Like doctors, hospitals and clinics, nursing homes have an expectation to provide a standard level of care and when it or its staff fails to meet that standard they can and should be held accountable for any injuries. Medical negligence is all too common in our healthcare system today and when common mistakes continue to be made, holding the facilities and its staff members accountable may go a long way toward correcting and preventing these mistakes from occurring in the future.
A wrongful death claim, like the one filed by the family member s of the deceased nursing home patient, can result in major improvements at hospitals and long-term care facilities. These facilities can also be fined by government agencies if deficiencies in training or procedures are either not documented or followed per state and federal guidelines. The wrongful death lawsuit filed against the Chicago nursing home seeks damages of more than $200,000. In cases involving evidence of gross negligence on the part of the facility or its staff, punitive damages may also be awarded.
