Opioid painkillers have been wreaking havoc and ruining lives for a number of years now. Over the last couple of decades, what was a background problem has risen to the forefront as a national epidemic.
Many individuals’ lives are now in shambles simply because they obeyed their doctors’ orders and took opioid painkillers as they were prescribed. Unfortunately, many of the doctors who prescribed these painkillers did so negligently, leading to many physically and mentally addicted patients.
If this sounds like your story or the story of someone you know and love, it is possible that your experience will provide grounds for a medical malpractice suit. You can consult with an experienced medical malpractice attorney to scrutinize the details of your experience and identify any strong grounds for a malpractice suit. An attorney can also help ensure that your rights remain protected throughout the process of pursuing justice for your injury.
Where to begin building your case
In order to successfully resolve your medical malpractice claim about opioid addiction, you must somehow demonstrate that some person along the line in your medical care acted negligently. In this particular area, that generally means one of the following
- The doctor made an error in the dosage of the prescription
- The doctor made an error in the type of drug he or she prescribed
- You informed the doctor that you have a history of addiction, but this was not accounted for in the prescription
While there are other types of malpractice that might occur with opioid painkillers, these are the most prevalent kinds of malpractice.
In order to prevail in your case, you must show that your care provider took some action or failed to take proper action, leading directly to your addiction.
Know the parameters in the legal system
Filing a lawsuit and following it through to a resolution is a time-consuming matter, especially when medical malpractice is involved. Before you launch a legal assault against a doctor, be sure that you have a clear plan for how to stay in the fight for the long haul.
Also, be mindful of the statutes of limitations that affect your case. You do not want to take your time carefully building the case, only to find that the window to file it has closed.
This balancing act is usually easiest to navigate with professional legal guidance from an attorney who understands not only the finer points of medical malpractice law, but the courts and systems that handle these cases in your area.
Strong legal guidance helps you focus on your recovery while protecting your rights. An attorney can also help you stay on track with your recovery and not get overwhelmed by medical debt as you wait for fair compensation.
You want your life back, and you should have the freedom to focus on your recovery instead of fighting a doctor for fair compensation for your losses.