The assumption that prescription drugs are always safe has injured and killed thousands of innocent people. From the national opioid overdose crisis to drivers failing to realize the risks of prescription medications before driving, prescription drugs can cause greater harm than good when patients don't fully understand their potential dangers.

Prescription drugs are still drugs. They can impair judgment and ability in ways you might not anticipate and change your mind and body in unhealthy ways. Here are three ways prescription drugs can be dangerous:

1. Addiction and overdose

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),66% of drug overdose deaths have involved opioids or painkillers. The CDC states that prescription painkillers are driving the significant uptick in opioid-related deaths over the past 16 years. Just because a doctor prescribes you an opioid painkiller does not mean you can take it without consequence. While opioids help people suffering from chronic pain and other conditions, their pain-killing effects can come at a cost.

Medical malpractice attorneys say, anyone can become addicted to prescription painkillers. It is simply the nature of the drug. Opioids work by attaching to and modifying receptors in the brain. They block pain receivers while flooding the brain with dopamine.

Over time of consistent use, the brain can become tolerant to the drug, and require a larger dose for the same effects. Soon the patient experiences withdrawals when not on the drug. This is an addiction. Prescription pill addiction is a slippery slope that can trap virtually anyone – especially without awareness of their risks.

2. Car accidents

Too many patients don't read the fine print on their prescription meds or don't take warnings and possible side effects seriously. Common prescription and over-the-counter drugs, such as cold medicines, painkillers, tranquilizers, anxiety drugs, antidepressants, allergy medications, diet pills, energy pills, and sleeping pills can all cause symptoms that arenot conducive to safe driving. A nationwide study found that in 2010, at least 47% of drivers involved in a car accident were under the influence of a prescription drug. Many can make drivers drowsy, or cause problems such as:

• Dizziness
• Confusion
• Blurred vision
• Slowed movement/reaction time
• Problems focusing/concentrating
• Fainting
• Nausea or vomiting

Driving under the influence of a prescription medication is still against the law if it impairs the driver's abilities. It's crucial to read the instructions on prescription drugs before taking them and driving. Side effects can also take time to take effect, so it's important to keep in mind when you are thinking of getting behind the wheel. When in doubt, don't drive.

3. Health problems

Another potential way prescription drugs can do more harm than good is in negative side effects and health problems. Taking any type of medication comes with some risks, but for most the good outweighs the bad.

There are some drugs, however, that are more dangerous for health than others. This is especially true if there are anyunsafe drug interactions that can create serious to fatal health problems. Side effects of some medications can include:

• Heart failure
• Stroke
• Uncontrollable bleeding
• Respiratory problems
• Renal failure
• Abdominal pain

Understand all the possible side effects of a prescription medication before agreeing to take it. Ask your doctor for more information about a drug's side effects, as well as about any possible adverse interactions with other things you're taking. Prescription drugs might play an important role in your health, but make sure you're taking them as a fully-informed consumer.

Can you sue if you are injured because of a prescribed drug?

Deaths due to accidental prescription drug overdoses have doubled in the first decade of the 21st century and have not gotten any better. Many times a patient makes an error when taking medicine which could take a deadly turn, however, doctors bear the full responsibility when prescribing each individual medication that could cause health problems if taken wrong. In some cases, the family of the person injured or deceased could take a closer look at what caused the death. Each case is different when it comes to a prescription drug overdose, but the first thing a family must do before suing is to identify the guilty party.

Plaintiffs need to seek advice from a personal injury attorney and ask the necessary questions. Did the doctor prescribe the wrong medicine for the problem or did the pharmacy give out the wrong medication? You also have to look at the individual...did they show signs of addiction before the overdose?

If the pharmacy is to blame you will need to file a complaint with your state's board of pharmacy immediately. If you believe the doctor made a mistake you can contact the State Board of Medicine to file a complaint. Every case is different but it is helpful to look at every detail surrounding the overdose as soon as possible so that if medical malpractice or a defective product is what caused the accident, you are ready to file a complaint.