This past week Dr. Conrad Murray was sentenced to four years in jail based on his involuntary manslaughter conviction. Dr. Murray received the maximum sentence after a jury determined he was criminally negligent for causing Michael Jackson's death as the result of a drug overdose. District Attorney Steve Cooley notes the case "provided a lesson for the public that the number one cause of unnatural death in the United States this year was prescription drug overdoses, surpassing traffic accidents."

Now that the criminal trial has finished, focus will shift to the civil wrongful death lawsuit based on negligence, including pharmaceutical malpractice and medical malpractice. A pharmaceutical malpractice action arises where an individual experiences harmful side effects - including death - as the result of a medication error. Although in some situations, as with Michael Jackson, the conduct leads to criminal charges, a pharmaceutical malpractice or prescription drug negligence case may be brought where a physician acts negligently in prescribing a drug. This can occur when the prescribed does is too high, the drug is unnecessary or for many other reasons. If you believe you or a loved one has been harmed as the result of taking a prescription drug it is important to speak to an experienced Sacramento personal injury lawyer to answer your questions and determine your next steps.

Here, evidence was presented that Murray "violated medical standards in administering propofol as a sleep aid without proper monitoring and resuscitation equipment." In a civil action, evidence that Murray failed to act with the requisite standard of care in prescribing and administering the drugs would be used to show medical malpractice. Where medical malpractice harms a patient, an individual or his or her family in a wrongful death suit may be able to recover money for the damages sustained. Compensation may include medical expenses, pain and suffering and lost present and future wages.

With the proliferation of prescription drugs that often have dangerous side effects, it is important for patients and their families to be vigilant. If you believe you or a family member has been injured as the result of pharmaceutical malpractice - either because the wrong dosage was provided, the drug was harmful, or any other prescription error - contact the knowledgeable Sacramento personal injury attorney at Sette Law Office for an immediate consultation.