A hospital visit shouldn’t come with the risk of receiving the wrong drug, the wrong dose, or the wrong anesthesia care. When that happens, it’s rarely bad luck, it’s usually a breakdown in a system that’s supposed to catch exactly this kind of mistake.
Gilbert Law Firm represents Washington patients and families harmed by medication and anesthesia errors, whether the mistake happened at the bedside, in the operating room, or at the pharmacy counter.
We know how to trace an error back to where the safety system failed.
Our Washington Medication and Anesthesia Error Services
Prescribing the wrong drug, the wrong dose, or failing to account for a patient’s allergies and existing medications can cause serious, sometimes fatal, complications. Medical providers are expected to review a patient’s full medical history before prescribing treatment.
Medication Errors
- Administering the wrong drug entirely
- Prescribing or administering the wrong dose
- Failing to check a patient’s allergies or existing medications before prescribing
- Pharmacy dispensing errors
- Failing to review a patient’s full medical history before prescribing treatment
Anesthesia Errors
- Administering an incorrect anesthesia dosage
- Anesthesia awareness, where a patient regains consciousness during surgery but cannot communicate it
- Failing to properly monitor a patient’s vital signs during anesthesia
- Improper intubation
- Failing to review a patient’s medical history for anesthesia-related risk factors
Research reviewing medication errors during anesthesia specifically has found error rates ranging from roughly 1 in 90 to 1 in 5,000 anesthetics administered, depending on the study and setting, with incorrect dosing and drug substitution among the most common types of error.
What Our Washington Clients Say
Our Washington Medication and Anesthesia Error Case Process
- Step One – Tell Us What Happened: Schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. We’ll listen to your story and give you an honest assessment of whether a medication or anesthesia error occurred.
- Step Two – We Investigate With Independent Medical Experts: We obtain your full medical, pharmacy, and anesthesia records and consult with independent pharmacology and anesthesiology experts to determine whether the standard of care was met.
- Step Three – We Trace the Error Back to Its Source: If we take your case, we pull the full medication administration record, pharmacy records, and anesthesia charting, and work with independent pharmacology and anesthesiology experts to pinpoint exactly where the standard of care broke down. We take that evidence directly to the provider, hospital, pharmacy, and their insurers, and we don’t back down if they push back. We have taken on some of the largest hospital systems in the country on behalf of patients harmed by preventable medication and anesthesia errors.
Frequently Asked Questions About Medication & Anesthesia Errors in Washington
What counts as a medication error?
A medication error is a preventable mistake in prescribing, dispensing, or administering a drug, including giving the wrong medication, the wrong dose, or failing to account for a patient’s allergies or drug interactions.
What is anesthesia awareness?
Anesthesia awareness occurs when a patient becomes conscious during a surgical procedure but is unable to move or communicate due to paralytic medication, a rare but serious anesthesia complication.
Who can be held liable for a medication error, the doctor, nurse, or pharmacy?
It depends on where the error occurred. Liability can fall on a prescribing physician, an administering nurse, a hospital, or a pharmacy, depending on where the mistake was made.
How common are anesthesia errors?
Research on medication errors specifically within anesthesia has found error rates ranging from roughly 1 in 90 to 1 in 5,000 anesthetics, depending on the study and clinical setting.
What should I do if I believe I received the wrong medication or dose?
Document what happened as soon as possible, request your complete medical and pharmacy records, and consult with an attorney who can help arrange an independent expert review of your case.
Can a medication error happen even in a hospital setting with safety checks?
Yes. Despite safety systems designed to prevent them, medication and anesthesia errors still occur due to look-alike drug names, mislabeling, distraction, fatigue, and communication breakdowns among care teams.
Do I need a medical expert to prove medical negligence?
In most cases, yes. Expert testimony is generally required to establish the accepted standard of care and to show how a provider’s actions fell short of it. An experienced medical malpractice attorney will know which medical experts to consult for your specific case.
How long do I have to file a medication error claim in Washington?
Generally, you have three years from the date of the injury, or one year from when you discover, or reasonably should have discovered, the injury, whichever period is longer. There is also generally an eight-year statute of repose, though exceptions may apply in cases involving fraud, concealment, or a foreign object left in the body.
Get Started on Your Washington Medication and Anesthesia Error Case Today
A medication or anesthesia error can turn routine care into a medical emergency in seconds. Contact Gilbert Law Firm today for a free, no-obligation consultation, and let us help you find out what went wrong. If your loved one was harmed by a medication error in a nursing home or care facility rather than a hospital, visit our Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect page.
Schedule a free consultation now to tell us about your case, or fill out the form:
