No one likes going to the dentist’s office, but it’s a necessary task. Unfortunately, sometimes patients leave the dentist’s office with more than they bargained for; Injuries caused by a dentist’s mistake.
If you’ve suffered injuries due to dental malpractice, you may be entitled to compensation for your damages. However, filing a dental malpractice lawsuit isn’t an easy task.
We recommend working with an experienced medical malpractice attorney to give yourself the best chance at maximum compensation for your injuries. Contact Schrier Law Group for your free initial consultation today.
Continue reading to learn about dental malpractice in Florida and what you can do about it.
Dental Malpractice Defined
Like other medical professionals, dentists can be held liable professionally and monetarily for mistakes or negligent acts committed while practicing dentistry.
When a patient incurs physical injuries as a result of errors made by a dentist, they have the right to file a dental malpractice suit. A few of the most common types of damages awarded in dental malpractice suits are:
- Compensation for injuries and treatment
- Money for mental and emotional pain and suffering
- Damages for lifelong injuries sustained as a result of dental malpractice
- Money for decreased satisfaction in life due to the injuries sustained
Due to the sensitive nature of dental work, instances of dental malpractice could lead to severe injuries up to wrongful death. If your family member suffered wrongful death or is at the brink of death due to negligence by a dentist, we can help.
Contact us to speak with a proven medical malpractice lawyer for wrongful death in Florida today.
How Can You Prove Dental Malpractice?
Winning a medical or dental malpractice suit requires you to prove the dentist was negligent in their duties. Alleging negligence is often not enough. Florida medical malpractice law requires you to prove that:
- The dentist owed you a duty of care
- The dentist did not meet that duty of care due to negligent actions or inactions
- You were injured due to the dentist’s negligence
- You suffered verifiable damages
Generally, if a dentist does not meet professional standards of care, they may be liable for any injuries caused. A successful dental malpractice claim requires the following:
- The dentist’s negligence is a direct cause of your injuries, and
- You suffered injuries
However, proving that a dentist breached their duty of care is not always an easy task. In many cases, that requires a skilled medical malpractice lawyer, strong evidence, expert witness testimony, and more.
It’s important to note that errors, mistakes, and acts of negligence that don’t result in injuries are not eligible for medical malpractice suits.
What Are The Main Causes of Dental Malpractice
Dental malpractice suits require the dentist to commit unreasonable actions that breach the duty of care. Common examples of negligence include but are not limited to:
- Inadequate sterilization that leads to disease and/or infection
- Dangerous administration of anesthetic
- Lack of adequate monitoring after a major surgery
- Lost medical records resulting in allergic reactions
- Misdiagnosed diseases
- Temporary or permanent disfigurement caused by dental procedures
What To Do If You’ve Been Injured By a Dentist
Medical malpractice cases are incredibly complex and difficult to win. With that in mind, if you have a strong case and a good medical malpractice lawyer, your chances of winning are much higher. It’s in your best interest to take the following steps immediately after you’ve sustained an injury by your dentist:
- Immediately change dental providers
- Take pictures of the damages
- Request copies of your medical records
- Strictly follow orders prescribed by your new dental provider
- Keep a journal detailing your injuries, pain, rehabilitation efforts, etc.
- Contact a Florida medical malpractice attorney as soon as you can
Contact an Experienced Medical Malpractice Attorney Today
Filing a dental malpractice claim without the help of a medical malpractice lawyer is a recipe for disaster. An experienced attorney can help you:
- Identify the breached duty of care or act of negligence
- Monitor the severity of your injuries
- Record and explain the extent of your pain and suffering
- Determine how much your claim is worth
- Find and hire expert witnesses
- Decide the best time to file a dental malpractice claim
Dental malpractice claims are notoriously complex. However, a skilled medical malpractice attorney can help you and your family fight for the compensation you deserve.
Our malpractice lawyers at Schrier Law Group are compassionate, experienced, and ready to aggressively pursue maximum compensation for your injuries. Contact us today for your free initial consultation.
