Injury from a Prescription Drug Error

Outcome: $200,000

Description: What Happened: W. W. was a 61 year-old man generally in a state of good health. He developed swelling in his left ankle that was determined to be a venous clot. His vascular surgeon gave him a prescription for Coumadin, a blood thinner, to be taken in doses of 10 mg. per day. When the pharmacist filled the prescription, W. W. was instructed by the pharmacist to take 25 mg. per day. Two days later, he suffered a massive rectal hemorrhage and required three hospitalizations to resolve the injury. Key Legal Strategy: A highly-qualified pharmacological poison expert was quickly retained to support the plaintiff's case. His expert opinions could not be effectively attacked by the defense. In addition, W. W. and his wife made extremely good witnesses so the case was put into mediation so that the pharmacy's defense team could have enough time with W. W. and his wife to realize how effective they would be on the witness stand.