As a personal injury lawyer, I am extremely concerned about a recent medical negligence case at Seattle Children's hospital that led to the tragic and unnecessary death of 15-year-old Michael Blankenship. Michael was also autistic. According to an article in the Seattle Press Intelligencer, Michael came to the hospital for some routine dental work -- tooth extraction. The doctor prescribed him a fentanyl painkiller-laced patch, which is normally used to alleviate chronic pain in cancer patients and others. Michael was found dead in bed the following morning.

A Victim of Medical Error

One of my good friends and an excellent medical malpractice lawyer, Chris Davis, is representing the Blankenship family in their wrongful death lawsuit against Seattle Children's hospital. I agree with Chris Davis. This is the most egregious case of medical negligence and error I've heard about recently. Not only did the doctor give Michael the patch, but gave him the highest dose available, which killed him. What does the hospital have to say? They say, yes, we made a mistake and are sorry they did not have a system designed to prevent this from happening. But so far, no one has been disciplined for this horrific, fatal error.

I offer my deepest condolences to the Blankenship family, who I understand, is intending to set aside a substantial portion of any recovery from this case for charitable foundations for autistic children and related issues. My heart goes out to this family. I hope they get the justice and compensation they rightfully deserve.

A Dangerous Drug

Apparently, even the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has constantly warned doctors about wrong prescription of the fentanyl patch since 2005. In fact, FDA officials say they continue to receive reports of death and life-threatening drug side effects in patients who use the fentanyl patch.

In Michael Blankenship's case, it certainly appears that the doctors wrongly prescribed this patch. So far the doctors who did this to him aren't facing criminal charges or disciplinary action. This civil lawsuit is the only remedy left for Michael's grieving family. Medical malpractice cases are still pretty much the only way to determine whether there was a medical error and to hold wrongdoers accountable for the harm they have caused.

These lawsuits are not just about money. For the Blankenship family this is an opportunity to prevent similar incidents from happening. In fact, 75 percent of our wrongful death clients state this -- not money -- as the main reason for pursuing a lawsuit. It also helps that these cases are usually public and high-profile and that helps raise public awareness on patient care and safety issues.

The BISNAR|CHASE personal injury law firm is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.