Our Ohio medical malpractice lawyers see the devastating that effects that prescription errors can have on a family. Often times these fatal prescription errors are made during the care of an elderly or disabled person.

The Journal of Hospital Medicine reported that 49 percent of almost 500,000 hospital patients 65 and older have been prescribed one or more drugs known to be unsafe to older patients.

The Institute of Medicine reported that at least 1.5 million Americans are sickened, injured or killed each year by errors in prescribing, dispensing and taking medications.

Prescription errors can be characterized as any of the following:

• Prescribing the wrong medication
• Dispensing the wrong medication
• Prescribing the right medication in the wrong dosage
• Prescribing a medication that may have severe interactions with other medications the patient is currently taking
• Filling the wrong prescription or dosage
• Giving patients the wrong instructions for taking the medications
• Neglecting to monitor the patient’s response to drugs
• Mislabeling the drug placed in a bottle and misuse of generic drugs

Our Ohio prescription error attorneys urge patients and caretakers to be extra cautious before taking any type of medication, whether it is over-the-counter or prescription, in order to prevent potentially fatal prescription errors. Talk to you doctor and your pharmacist about your medications, and make sure that the paperwork matches what you discussed.

Read all labels and make sure that the bottles have your name and contact information on it. Also make sure that your pharmacy is aware of all drugs that you are taking, in order to prevent adverse side effects or overdose.

Distracted driving seems to be getting about as much attention these days as driving while drunk. That makes sense because both are inherently dangerous and can cause fatal car accidents.

Our Toledo, Ohio car accident lawyers realize that the Increased popularity of electronic devices such as cell phones and iPods have added to the distractions present in vehicles driven by teenagers. But for the young drivers who are also afflicted with attention deficit disorder, the distractions can prove deadly if they contribute to a fatal car accident.

More than 26.1 million drivers on America’s roads are ages 16-21, according to www.drivehomesafe.com, a website dedicated to informing teens and their parents about the dangers of distracted driving. According to USA Weekend, approximately 2 million children have ADHD.

Symptoms include inability to pay attention, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. When these symptoms are present behind the wheel, the risk of an accident greatly increases. The Weekend also reported that the danger of having an accident quadrupled for those using a cell phone while driving, as found in the New England Journal of Medicine’s 1997 study. Since then, cell phone companies have added features like text messaging and cameras that could easily raise the rate. Although ADHD may be a contributing factor in car accidents involving teens, it does not mean that those without the disorder are immune from the dangers of driving while distracted.

Teenage drivers, as reported by www.drivehomesafe.com, cause 14% of all car accidents occurring each year. Speeding, loud music, numerous passengers and alcohol use have all been reasons that teen drivers lose control of their vehicles. Keep your teen and others safe on the road by adopting family rules on driving. Know where your teen is going and who will be in the car. Have parents and teens sign a family contract listing driving rules and consequences, including zero tolerance for drinking and driving, speeding or non-seatbelt use.

If you or someone you know has lost a loved one due to a fatal car accident or other tragic circumstance, you need information. Contact our office to order your free copy of The Ohio Wrongful Death Book.

Toledo, Ohio dog bite attorney Dale Emch discusses the importance of a living will and healthcare power of attorney in his Toledo Blade column, “Legal Briefs.” If you have a general legal question you would like to see answered in Attorney Emch’s column, such as an inquiry regarding dog bites, car accidents, or workers’ compensation, contact our office.

Dear Dale: I have been in poor health for the last few years and recently I took a turn for the worse, which required me to move in with my daughter. Can I give her the right to make decisions for me about my health and medical care if need be?

ANSWER: Most of us don’t like to think about these issues, but whether you’re elderly and in bad health or young and vibrant, it’s a good idea to have a living will and health care power of attorney. It makes sense to have your attorney put them together at the same time you have a will drafted, but you actually can create a living will and health care power of attorney on your own.

Living wills provide peace of mind that your wishes at the end of your life will be followed. They’re powerful documents that address your desires about what type of care you want to receive if you’re not in a position to make the decision yourself.

A living will kicks in when you are terminally ill and unable to express your wishes or when you’re permanently unconscious. In applicable situations, a living will addresses things such as a desire not to receive life-sustaining treatment, whether you want to be hooked up to machines to sustain your life, whether medical providers should attempt CPR, and when feeding and fluid tubes should be removed. At the same time you can still be given medicine to ease any pain.

Physicians will recognize living wills, but two doctors have to agree that the conditions mentioned above apply and that you will not recover.

A health care power of attorney makes a good companion to a living will. This document allows you to designate a person who can make health care decisions for you if you aren’t able to make them for yourself. It’s different than giving someone power of attorney over your finances or over other matters limited to a specific area.

The person given health care power of attorney can make the decision to withdraw or deny life-sustaining treatment provided that a physician determines that you won’t recover and be able to make such decisions for yourself.

But unlike a living will, a health care power of attorney can apply to situations that aren’t life and death. For instance, if you were temporarily knocked unconscious after being hit by a car while riding your bike, the person to whom you gave health care power of attorney can make certain medical decisions on your behalf, such as signing off on an operation or moving you to a different hospital.

Because you’re living with your daughter, you should consider whether you’re comfortable giving her health care power of attorney. If you are, have a detailed talk about your end-of-life wishes. The best way to ensure that your desires are followed is to have a living will, which would trump the health care power of attorney even if your designee wants to take another course.

I would encourage you and anyone else interested in exploring these issues to visit Lucas County Probate Judge Jack Puffenberger’s Web site at www.lucas-co-probate-ct.org. Not only does it have a tremendous amount of information about these matters, but it has a link that allows you to download forms for a living will and health care power of attorney.

Our Toledo, Ohio hunting accident attorneys want to remind hunters to be careful this fall and winter in order to prevent Ohio hunting accidents.

Even the most careful hunters can be injured while outdoors. It is important to remember these safety tips to keep yourself and others free from injury or fatality from an Ohio hunting accident.

Guns and bows are serious weapons, and should be treated that way. Always assume that it is loaded and ready to shoot.

Never point your gun or bow at another person, if you know that it is not loaded. Always point your weapon in a safe direction and keep the safety on until you are ready to shoot.

Clearly identify your target before you shoot, to make absolutely sure you are shooting at another animal and not a person. Never try to climb into a tree stand, or do major maneuvering with a loaded gun – unload it first. Getting somewhere quickly means nothing if a hunting accident occurs and someone gets hurt.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a hunting accident, contact our office. Our Toledo, Ohio hunting accident lawyers handle these types of cases and can provide you with information in our Ohio Accident Book. Contact our office today for your free copy.