More often than not, when police brutality cases hit the headlines, they involve allegedly unjustified beatings, shootings, or other potentially overreaching physical altercations between the public and the police.
But with the current opioid crisis escalating, and the advent of Narcan, a new area of alleged police misconduct is emerging. Narcan is a drug that medical professionals and more recently police officers, can administer in suspected overdose cases to reverse the overdose and potentially save a person’s life.
What happens if an officer administers the medication to someone who has not overdosed?
When somebody negligently, recklessly, or intentionally acts or fails to act in such a way as to cause injury to another person, a personal injury lawsuit may be appropriate. While each case and state laws differ, compensatory damages for the victim may include such things as current and future medical expenses, current and future lost income or diminished earning capacity, physical and psychological damages, and more if liability can be established.
Recently, a police officer responding to a home emergency allegedly “mistook [a woman’s] asthma attack for an opioid overdose” and gave her Narcan instead of addressing her difficulties breathing. According to her family, Narcan was administered after they advised police she was not on any drugs and the officer was initially “shaking her and calling her name” rather than performing CPR.
The victim allegedly was diagnosed by hospital staff “with an asthma attack, which prompted respiratory failure, and then cardiac arrest”. The family alleges earlier CPR and chest compressions rather than shaking may have prevented the brain injury she allegedly suffered due to lack of oxygen.
If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of someone else’s actions or failure to act, the Goldstein Law Firm can help maximize the compensation to which you may be entitled. Contact us today for a free consultation.
From our office in the Bronx, New York, we represent injured victims and their families throughout New York City and New York State, as well as those injured while visiting New York.