CT Medical Examiner Predicts Nearly 1,100 Deaths By Opioids This Year

The opioid epidemic continues to have a strong foothold in Connecticut. The Connecticut Medical Examiner recently released information regarding opioid deaths. Connecticut Chief Medical Examiner Dr. James Gill is predicting 1,088 deaths by opioids in 2019. Last year, there were 1,017 deaths in the state caused by opioid overdose. Connecticut’s per capita death rate continues to be among the highest nation-wide.

Drugs in the opioid family include illegal forms, like heroin, and legal forms like codeine, methadone, oxycodone (Percocet, Oxycontin, Percodan), hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lortab, Norco), fentanyl, hydromorphone, and buprenorphine. The legal form of opioid drugs are only available through a prescription by a licenced Connecticut physician.

Opioid overdose can occur in four ways:

1. The user takes the drug recreationally;
2. A nurse administers the incorrect dosage to the patient;
3. The prescribing physician miscalculates the dosage for the patient;
4. The pharmacist dispenses the incorrect dosage to the patient.

The latter three are considered Connecticut medical malpractice when an error, like prescribing, administering, or dispensing an incorrect dosage leaves the patient with permanent injuries including death.

There is a limited window to the amount of time you have to file a medical malpractice claim in Connecticut. An experienced attorney can help you with your claim.