Addiction is a brain disease. It is not about having “willpower” or a “lack of character”. Once a person develops this disease, they lose choice over taking the addictive medication. These medications can include: methadone, oxycodone, Oxycontin, Percocet, Vicodin, Opana, fentanyl patches, Xanax, valium, etc.
Doctors and pharmacies have a duty to monitor patients for the disease of addiction and can be liable if they continue to prescribe painkillers and benzodiazepines when faced with signs of addiction. In fact, there are laws which closely regulate the prescribing of these medications.
Your loved one may have suffered from the brain disease of addiction. If they died from an overdose due to these medications please call us to talk.
If a loved one has died from medical malpractice or an overdose of prescription painkillers, please contact us for a free consultation and case evaluation.