Can I sue a pain management doctor for giving my dad pain killers when he or she knows he has a past of abusing prescriptdrugs?

Based only on what you have written, it does not appear that there is a case. However, the determination as to whether or not there is a claim for medical malpractice is really a medical question rather than a legal question. You have to get all your medical records and charts and have them reviewed by an expert to make the determination as to whether or not your doctor has failed to follow the standard of care in the community in which he or she practices. Once you have the expert opinion taking the position that there was a failure on the part of your doctor to follow the proper standard, then we have to see what are the damages you are claiming. Because prosecuting a medical malpractice is very expensive, it only makes sense to pursue cases where the injuries are of catastrophic and permanent nature. Smaller injuries can simply not be pursued because the expected award will be far less than the cost of the prosecution. But all the same, get your medical records and have them reviewed by an attorney to see where you stand in terms of a viable claim. I hope this helps-

Hard to tell what history he was given so without more information there is no answer to provide. Also, without some significant injury, there is nothing for which to seek compensation. Consult a lawyer if you are concerned. Stephen L. Hoffman Law Office of Stephen L. Hoffman LLC Chicago, IL 773-944-9737 Email: [email protected] Website: www.hofflawyer.com Blog: www.hofflawyer.com/blog/

If you are asking whether there was malpractice, medical records would need to be ordered and reviewed by an expert to ascertain whether or not there was a breach of the standard of care. Without damages, a lawsuit would cost more than you would recover.

Your question is can you sue the doctor. The answer to that is almost certainly no. You do not have legal standing to assert a claim that your father might have. Under the law, you have not suffered any legally compensable injury from the doctor's actions. If your question is whether your father has a valid claim, the answer is that there is no way to tell based on the information you've given. If you have questions, you should consult with a medical malpractice attorney in the Chicago area. Search here on --you'll find many superb medical malpractice attorneys.

You raise a very important issue. As others have mentioned, we need more information. What exactly did the doctor know? What condition was your father in when he was given these prescriptions? It could very well be a case similar to the Michael Jackson matter where the doctor has been criminally convicted; and it seems more than likely the doctor will be help accountable in a civil trial. I believe you should consult an experienced attorney who can investigate this matter. Thank you for raising this important topic.