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Minnesota Prescription Drugs and Suicide Loss Attorneys

Fighting for families when patients take their lives due to prescription negligence

Some drugs are so dangerous that they have known side effects that could cause a patient to commit suicide. Losing a loved one is never easy. Making matters worse is that a loved one did not have to die in the first place. At Bradshaw & Bryant, PLLC, we hold medical providers accountable when their negligence is the proximate cause of a loved one taking their life.

While no verdict or settlement can replace your loved one, a successful recovery can help honor your loved one’s memory, help prevent other patients from trying to take their lives, and provide compensation so your family can move forward. Call our Minnesota wrongful death lawyers now to discuss your rights after the tragic death of a loved one due to the prescribed medications they took.

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How can we help you?

What types of prescription medications have a risk of suicide?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide/self-harm was the 11th leading cause of death in the US in 2021.

According to University of Chicago Medicine, a study published in Harvard Data Science Review (HDSR) found that many drugs “showed a statistically significant increase in suicide attempts.” The HDSR identified the following prescription drugs as most likely to contribute to the suicide of patients: The opioid painkiller hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen (Vicodin), anti-anxiety drugs alprazolam (Xanax) and diazepam (Valium), and prednisone, a corticosteroid. Anti-depressants can also result in suicide without proper medical care.

What steps should doctors take when prescribing drugs that may result in suicide attempts?

Our Minnesota prescription drug and suicide lawyers work with medical experts and through the discovery process to show the type of care (and lack of care) that your loved one received. Some of the reasons medical providers may be liable for medical malpractice when a loved one commits suicide due to prescription drugs (as opposed to illegal drugs) include the following:

  • The failure to properly evaluate, diagnose, and treat your loved one’s physical and emotional health disorders.
  • Improper pain management care
  • Improper psychological care
  • Improperly failing to prescribe proper medications to manage your loved one’s health
  • Prescribing medications that should not have been prescribed
  • Failing to monitor your loved one’s health after the medications were prescribed
  • Prescription errors, such as the wrong drug, the improper dosage, and improper instructions
  • Failing to prescribe transition medications
  • Failing to understand withdrawal symptoms
  • Failing to reduce the psychological effects of withdrawal
  • Failing to refer the patient to a specialist or a detox center
  • Other medical mistakes
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Who should be held liable for deadly prescription errors in Minnesota?

At Bradshaw & Bryant, PLLC, we file claims against everyone responsible for your loved one's taking his/her life due to prescription malpractice. The defendants may include one or more of the following:

  • A hospital
  • A family physician
  • A psychiatrist
  • Other physicians
  • A pharmacist
  • A nurse
  • Other healthcare professionals

How much is a wrongful death claim worth in Minnesota?

We file wrongful death claims on behalf of the next of kin. The next of kin generally includes a spouse, children, parents, and other relatives. Our Minnesota wrongful death lawyers demand the following compensation when a loved one takes their life due to their prescription medications:

  • Payment of the funeral and burial costs.
  • Payment for any outstanding medical expenses on behalf of your loved one.
  • The loss of financial support that your loved one would have provided for each family member
  • The loss of an inheritance
  • The loss of guidance, comfort, society, education, and love that your loved one would have provided to each family member
  • The emotional trauma of each family member at the wrongful death of their loved one

We may also seek punitive damages if the medical provider's conduct was wanton or reckless.

What are the unique challenges in proving a suicide was due to prescription mistakes?

Please contact us as soon as possible after a loved one commits suicide. There are strict time limits for when families can file their claims. There are also many evidence issues that our lawyers need to review while the recollection of what happened is fresh in everyone’s mind.

Other challenges include the following:

  • Criminal charges. If a local, state, or federal prosecutor filed criminal charges, we need to coordinate your claim with the prosecution’s case.
  • Obtaining a certificate of expert review. In medical malpractice, we need to provide the defendants with a certification by an expert that we have reviewed the facts of your case with an expert “whose qualifications provide a reasonable expectation that the expert's opinions could be admissible at trial and that, in the opinion of this expert, one or more defendants deviated from the applicable standard of care and by that action caused injury [death] to the plaintiff.” We’re here to explain what time limits for providing this notice and what exceptions may apply. The certification/affidavit must be signed by the expert witness.
  • The need for independent evidence. Since your loved one is not alive to testify, we need to work with experts and other witnesses to show what drugs were given; why the prescription, administration, or monitoring of the drugs and patient were improper; and why the drugs led to the death of your loved one.

Do you have a Minnesota prescription drug/suicide lawyer near me?

Yes. We meet families of suicide victims at our offices located at 1505 Division Street in Waite Park, Minnesota and other locations around the state.

Our lawyers also consult with the trustee assigned to handle your family’s wrongful death claim by phone and through online platforms such as Zoom and FaceTime. These platforms work well with families who live in different locations.

Contact our respected Minnesota attorneys now

Our lawyers respect your need to mourn. We’re ready to advise you when you’re ready. Our Minnesota wrongful death lawyers have earned the trust of former clients and the respect of insurance companies and the legal community for our record of strong recoveries. Call us or fill out our contact form today to schedule a free consultation.

Our lawyers represent clients in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul and the nearby suburbs. We also advocate for clients across Central Minnesota, including St. Cloud, Brainerd, and Alexandria, and Stearns, Sherburne, Wright, Morrison, and Benton counties. We handle wrongful death claims on a contingency fee basis.