Nursing Home Medication Errors: St. Louis, Kansas City, Independence Attorney
When Horn Law is first contacted for legal consultation regarding a nursing home medication error, it is usually by a family member of the victim. Most commonly, this is a son or daughter who has been familiar with the circumstances of the medication error. Attorney Douglas Horn, an experienced lawyer serving St. Louis, Kansas City, Independence, and areas across Missouri and the Midwest, takes the investigation of these cases quite seriously; our firm understands how vulnerable your family member in a nursing home is to any type of medical mishap or inadequate care.
It is always best that legal consultation take place as soon as practical and consultations occur before you or other family members talk with nursing home administrators or risk management persons.
Horn Law will consult and investigate at no charge cases that involve nursing home medication errors. Because of the complexity of these cases, our practice cannot undertake the legal representation of a client until the full medical analysis is complete.
Medication errors are a very serious safety concern that exists within our nation’s nursing homes. As you might expect, in many of the Missouri nursing home neglect cases we've handled, nursing issues cause many medication errors. Coupled with the fact that many residents are cognitively impaired and are not able to be involved in their own care, this creates a monumental risk of harm to nursing home residents.
We have confirmed that there are other significant factors that increase the risk of nursing home medication errors, including:
- Nursing home residents tend to be on multiple medications increasing the chance of an adverse drug reaction if the wrong medication or dosage is administered;
- Most nursing homes must depend on nursing staff to administer medications due to the fact they cannot afford computerized medication dispensing systems;
- Communication between doctors and nursing staff is often done over the telephone increasing the risk that medications will be improperly administered;
- Record keeping is inadequate, leading to errors.
Making the problem worse is the fact that most states, including Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Nebraska, do not require nursing homes to report medication errors. Although data is limited, studies show the following:
- The most frequent error is “dose omission” or neglecting to give a patient their medication. This probably accounts for over 50 percent of all nursing home medication errors.
- Approximately 25 percent of nursing home medication errors involve dosage errors, including giving the resident an extra dose, under dose, or overdosing the patient.
Cases against nursing homes are complex and we expect a vigorous defense from the nursing home lawyers. When Douglas Horn, our medication error attorney accepts a nursing home liability case, we will do a full medical record review and an independent investigation of the particular nursing home. Additionally, because medical causation of the injury will always be in dispute, we will retain the best medical experts to advance your case. Zealous representation cannot wait until the case is several months old - it must start immediately after we are put on the case.
Contact Nursing Home Medication Error Lawyer Douglas Horn: Kansas City, Independence, St. Louis
If a loved one has fallen ill in a nursing home because of a medication error, contact attorney Douglas Horn. With offices in Independence, St. Louis, and downtown Kansas City, our nursing home medication error lawyer has the skill and experience to ensure that your family’s rights and dignity are protected.
Contact Attorney Doug Horn
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INDEPENDENCE, MO
19049 Valley View Parkway, Suite J
Independence, Missouri 64055
KANSAS CITY, MO
Two Pershing Square, 2300 Main Street, 9th Floor
Kansas City, MO 64108
ST LOUIS, MO
West Port Plaza, St. Louis, MO 63146
OVERLAND PARK, KS
College & Metcalf, Overland Park, KS