If you have been a victim of dental malpractice in or around Philadelphia, you need the strong legal representation of the dental malpractice attorneys at Cooper Schall & Levy. We have decades of experience and are fully committed to protecting your right to just compensation under the law. Contact us for a free consultation so that we can determine whether you have a viable case. Once you become our client we will charge you no attorneys’ fees until we recover damages.
What is dental malpractice and how will we prove it took place?
Like all medical malpractice, dental malpractice involves four basic components. As your attorneys, we must prove that:
- You and your dentist had a professional relationship in which you were owed a duty of care
- Your dentist breached that duty of care by violating the accepted standard of dental care
- That breach caused your injury
- You had real financial losses as a result of your dentist’s negligence
We must also be able to demonstrate that a reasonable dentist would have acted differently under the same or similar circumstances. This will be done through medical evidence we gather, the testimony of witnesses we interview, and, most importantly, the testimony of an expert in the relevant branch of dentistry who will testify on your behalf.
In many cases, our agile negotiations will lead to an out-of-court settlement, but we are always ready to take your case to trial. You can rest assured that we have a track record of successful outcomes through both settlements and courtroom verdicts.
Any Dental Professional Can Be Found Guilty of Dental Malpractice in Pennsylvania
There are many types of dental malpractice that can result in serious injury, permanent disability or disfigurement, or even wrongful death. The sharp dental malpractice attorneys at Cooper Schall & Levy are able to handle all kinds of dental malpractice and have access to experts in all dental disciplines including general dentistry, pediatric dentistry, endodontics, periodontics, orthodontics, prosthodontics, and oral surgery.
Types of Dental Malpractice
There are a great many kinds of dental malpractice, ranging from errors of omission to surgical mistakes and failures to provide post-surgical follow-ups. These include:
Failure to Take the Patient’s Medical History
The failure to accurately take a patient’s medical history of pre-existing conditions into account, results in severe allergic reactions, internal bleeding, or other catastrophic occurrences.
Failure to Get the Patient’s Informed Consent
This is critical particularly for procedures with serious risks.
Failure To Diagnose
The failure to diagnose and ultimately treat, or refer for treatment, any of the following may constitute dental negligence:
- Advancing periodontal (gum) disease
- Severe tooth decay or abscess
- Need for root canal treatment
- Need for tooth extraction
In addition to taking care of your teeth and gums, your dentist is on the frontline when it comes to oral care generally. Dentists are expected to be alert and attentive to any signs or symptoms of potential illness in the mouth region.
So, if your dentist failed to send you to a specialist in response to a swollen lymph node in your neck, an abnormality in your gums, a lesion on your lip, eroded tooth enamel, or suspicious bleeding, in some cases that dentist may be held accountable for neglecting to refer you to your primary care doctor for suspected anemia, oral cancer, bulimia, or an autoimmune disorder.
Misdiagnosis
Sometimes a misdiagnosis can be evidence of dental malpractice, if, for example, your dentist has you undergo an unnecessary root canal or extraction.
Medication Errors
Many dental procedures require the use of anti-biotics before or after the treatment. Any medication errors relative to dosage, prescription, or administration can cause serious harm.
Failure to Refer
This occurs when general dentists attempt tasks beyond their sphere of expertise, such as complicated tooth extractions best left to oral surgeons. If a reasonable dentist would have referred you to a specialist with proper training, and your dentist injured you because they failed to do so, we will pursue a case of dental malpractice.
Failure to Follow Up
Even if the procedure is routine, a failure to follow up can, and often does, lead to oral infections that become systemic or to other serious complications.
Surgical Injuries Due to Dental Malpractice
Injuries that can occur from dental surgery include:
- Anesthesia injuries, including wrongful death
- Nerve damage to the lips, tongue, or jaw, often causing a lack of sensation or tingling
- Fracture or dislocation of the jaw, TMJ
- Unnecessary surgery or tooth loss
- Gum or tongue injuries
- Infection due to improper sterilization of equipment
- Perforations of the sinuses
- Breaking a tool in your mouth that results in a puncture injury or inadvertent swallowing of a foreign object
No matter what type of dental malpractice you have endured, you can trust our savvy dental malpractice lawyers to do everything in our power to bring you the maximum damages you deserve.
Cooper Schall & Levy Will Fight Aggressively to Recover Damages
Whether you have suffered tooth loss, nerve damage, advanced gum disease, a jaw fracture,
or metastasis of an oral cancer your dentist misdiagnosed, you are entitled to substantial compensation for your losses. We will seek damages for:
- Medical and rehabilitation costs
- Lost income, present and future
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent disability
- Permanent scarring or other disfigurements
- Loss of enjoyment of life
If you have been through the unspeakable tragedy of losing a close relative to dental negligence, we will file a wrongful death suit to recover final medical costs and funeral expenses. In addition, we will fight to recover damages to bring your family some sense of justice for the loss of your loved one’s financial and emotional support.
Contact Our Experienced Dental Malpractice Attorneys Today
The sooner you get in touch with our office, the sooner we can tune in to the details of your case and create a winning legal strategy. Contact us now so we can help you move on with your life. You can count on us to provide you with compassion as well as powerful legal representation.
