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Lawyer Says His Illiterate Client Deserves More Than $1.7M After Getting Life-Threatening Wrong Prescription

LOS ANGELES (CBS) —  The lawyer for a man who allegedly developed life-threatening conditions after he was given the wrong prescription at a Rite Aid in Inglewood says his client deserves more than $1.7 million.

Lieutenant Taylor, who says he is illiterate and signs his name "John Doe," sued the drug store chain in November 2009 in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging he was given drugs at an Inglewood Rite Aid in December 2008 meant for a Lennette Taylor.

"When you're in his situation, you look up to the person who is the pharmacist," attorney Alvin L. Pittman said on behalf of Taylor during final arguments in the trial of his client's malpractice case.

He also said Taylor needs a kidney transplant and the estimated cost is $450,000.

But Rite-Aid attorney Kevin T. Dunbar said Taylor has not proven any wrongdoing by the pharmacist.

When Taylor picked up the prescriptions in December 2008, Dunbar said, the pharmacist repeatedly asked if he was picking up drugs for Lennette Taylor, and Lieutenant Taylor said yes.

"People come in and pick up other people's medication all the time," Dunbar said.

In a sworn declaration, Taylor describes himself as "an illiterate male who stopped school at age 18 while still in the eighth grade." He says he handed over a prescription for two drugs on one day and was told by a pharmacist that his doctor should have ordered him to take additional pills.

He said he returned the next day and was given his two prescriptions and unwittingly also was given four meant for the other customer. He says he immediately began taking all six drugs.

"When I started feeling sick and weak, I stopped taking them for a while," Taylor stated. "Then, I would start up again."

(©2010 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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