Every year, despite the best intentions of adults everywhere, nearly 2,250 children under the age of 15 are treated in emergency rooms for accidental poisoning caused by the ingestion of prescription medications. Nearly 660 children between the ages of 15 and 19 years old are also treated in the emergency room for prescription and over the counter drug poisoning or overdose. Overall, nearly 7,810 cases of accidental ingestion or overdose of medications are reported in the emergency room annually. More than 780 individuals, including children, die as a result of accidental overdoses on prescription and over the counter medications. For parents and caretakers everywhere, prevention is vital to saving lives.
Preventing Child Medication Accidents
Although not every child medication accident can be prevented, there are ways that parents can reduce the risk that their child will become a victim of an overdose or accidental ingestion. The best prevention methods include the following:
Ensure that prescriptions in your home are kept out of reach of young children, under lock and key; and talk to the parents of your child’s friends to ensure that they are doing the same.
Use child safe bottles and containers for your pills as a last line of defense.
Learn to recognize the early signs of poisoning and ask your doctor what you should do if you think your child has accidentally ingested pills.
Why Contact a Child Medication Accident Attorney
If your child has been injured in a child medication accident due to the negligence of a friend, a friend’s parent, or another party, you should reach out to a skilled child injury attorney. The attorneys at the Breyer Law Offices, P.C. will help you get the highest quality of medical care available to help your child make it through their arduous recovery and gain their life back. We will use evidence and witness testimonies to negotiate your case for a settlement from the negligent party that will pay for the best available medical care, your personal suffering, lost wages associated with the accident, and more. To talk about your child’s case now, contact the Husband and Wife Law Team.