Failure to Administer Life-Saving Medication

When patients are facing life-threatening conditions, timely and accurate administration of medication can mean the difference between recovery and severe injury or death. Tragically, though, it is not uncommon for healthcare providers to fail to administer life-saving medication promptly, causing their patients to suffer devastating consequences that could have been avoided. The failure to administer life-saving medication often constitutes medical malpractice, and if you or a loved one were hurt by such oversights, you should contact an attorney to determine your rights. The experienced Baltimore medical malpractice attorneys of Arfaa Law Group understand the overwhelming damage careless medical errors can cause, and if we represent you, we will diligently pursue the justice you deserve.

The failure to administer life-saving medication is a grave error that can lead to catastrophic outcomes. Life-saving medications include drugs that address acute and severe health crises, such as epinephrine for allergic reactions, anticoagulants for stroke prevention, and insulin for managing critical blood sugar levels. When healthcare providers fail to deliver these medications in an emergency, patients can suffer serious and sometimes irreversible harm. In severe cases, this type of failure can result in death, leaving families to cope with an unimaginable loss that might have been preventable.

Medical professionals are trained to recognize critical situations that require immediate intervention and medication. Yet, medication errors are all too common, and they often stem from lapses in communication, improper charting, misidentification of patients, lack of monitoring, and misjudgment of symptoms. When life-saving medication is delayed or completely omitted, patients can experience a rapid decline in health, including stroke, cardiac arrest, organ failure, or severe infection, depending on the medication that was withheld. For example, failure to administer insulin to a diabetic patient in crisis can result in diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening condition. For these patients, delays or omissions in medication can mean prolonged hospital stays, extensive recovery periods, and even permanent disability.

Medical professionals owe a duty of care to their patients, which includes ensuring timely and appropriate treatment. When healthcare providers fail to administer life-saving medication, they may be considered negligent, and their failure may serve as grounds for a medical malpractice claim.

In Maryland, a plaintiff asserting a negligence claim must show that the defendant owed them a duty. Typically, the duty a healthcare provider owes a patient is to abide by the accepted standard of care, which is the treatment a competent professional would provide in the same situation. Next, the plaintiff must prove the defendant deviated from the standard of care, breaching the duty owed.

The plaintiff must then establish causation by showing that this breach directly led to the harm they suffered. This may involve proving that had the provider administered the medication on time, the patient’s condition would have improved or stabilized, and the injuries suffered would have been avoided. Finally, the plaintiff must demonstrate actual damages, such as physical injuries, medical expenses, lost wages, or mental anguish. Medical malpractice cases involving failure to administer life-saving medication are typically complex and often require expert testimony to explain the standard of care and how the provider’s actions deviated from the standard.

Patients who have been harmed due to the failure to administer life-saving medication may be entitled to both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages could include medical expenses related to the extended treatment or complications resulting from the lack of timely medication, as well as lost wages or diminished earning capacity if the harm affected the patient’s ability to work. Non-economic damages may also be awarded to compensate for intangible losses such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and other personal impacts of the provider’s negligence.

In the tragic event that a patient loses their life due to the failure to receive life-saving medication, their family may be eligible to file a wrongful death claim to seek damages for funeral costs, loss of companionship, and other financial burdens associated with the unexpected loss. These claims can also provide compensation for the grief and trauma endured by family members.

The failure to administer life-saving medication can have tragic consequences, and healthcare providers who commit such errors should be held accountable. If you or a loved one were harmed due to a healthcare provider’s neglect, it is important to understand your rights, and you should talk to an attorney. At Arfaa Law Group, our trusted Baltimore medical malpractice attorneys are adept at navigating the complexities of cases against reckless healthcare providers, and if you engage our services, we will work tirelessly to help you seek any compensation available. We have an office in Baltimore, and we represent clients in Baltimore and throughout the state of Maryland. To set up a free conference, please contact our office today by calling 410-889-1850 or by completing our online form.