Medical malpractice occurs when the negligent actions (or inactions) of a healthcare provider result in injury to a patient. Medical malpractice can happen anyplace professional healthcare is provided, including in a hospital, doctor’s office, nursing home, clinic, pharmacy, and in a dental office.
Most people don’t think of the dentist’s office when they think about medical malpractice. However, dental malpractice is more common than you might think. Each year, hundreds of patients suffer serious injuries while undergoing a dental procedure.
While a lot of medical malpractice cases stem from misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose, most cases of dental malpractice are treatment-related. One of the most common forms of dental malpractice is lingual nerve damage after a wisdom tooth extraction.
What Is Lingual Nerve Damage?
The lingual nerve is a branch of the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve. It provides feeling to the anterior two-thirds of the tongue, responding to stimuli of pressure, touch, and temperature. Its position beneath the jaw makes it vulnerable to injury during a dental procedure.
Most lingual nerve damage happens during a wisdom tooth extraction procedure. Lingual nerve damage can also occur during a dental implant procedure, the administration of local anesthesia, or as a result of instrument mishaps.
Symptoms of a severe lingual nerve injury often include:
- Numb areas of the tongue
- Tingling sensations in the tongue
- Loss of taste or altered taste sensation
- Pain or burning in the tongue
- Discomfort in the floor of the mouth, tongue, and gums
- Drooling
- Speech difficulties
Filing a Medical Mapractice Claim for Lingual Nerve Damage After a Wisdom Tooth Extraction Gone Wrong
If you’ve suffered lingual nerve damage as a result of dental malpractice, you have a right to seek compensation for your injury-related losses. These losses can include current and anticipated medical expenses, lost wages, pain, suffering, and mental anguish to name a few. To collect this compensation, you’ll have to file a personal injury claim with the dentist’s insurance provider.
Most people in your position choose to hire a personal injury attorney to handle their dental malpractice case. Letting an attorney represent your claim provides many advantages. The dentist’s insurance company isn’t going to fork over a pile of cash because you ask for it. To prevail in a dental malpractice claim, you’ll have to be able to show that:
- A doctor/patient relationship existed;
- The Doctor was negligent in the care they provided;
- This negligence caused your injuries; and
- You’ve suffered damages as a result of your injuries.
A Fort Lauderdale medical malpractice attorney will be able to gather the evidence (medical records, hospital receipts, pay stubs, expert testimony, etc.) crucial to supporting your dental malpractice claim. Your attorney can assist you in many other areas as well, including:
- Identifying your damages
- Assigning a dollar value to your damages
- Handling legal/administrative paperwork
- Negotiating a settlement with the insurance company
- Representing you at trial
Speak to Fort Lauderdale Dental Malpractice Lawyer Lisa Levine P.A. About Your Case
If your life has been turned upside down as the result of a dentist’s mistake, dental malpractice attorney Lisa S. Levine is here to fight for your right to get the fair compensation you deserve for your malpractice-related injuries.
Lisa Levine is a nationally recognized personal injury attorney who has more than 35 years of experience helping families put their lives back together after terrible accidents caused by the negligence of dentists and other medical professionals. She has represented clients all over South Florida, including Weston, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami.
Lisa’s considerable experience, skill, and resources have enabled her to recover hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements for her clients. Some of her notable dental malpractice cases include:
- A $370,000.00 settlement for the estate of a 92-year-old man who died as a result of lung damage caused when a dentist dropped a dental tool down his throat during a procedure.
- A $350,418.90 jury verdict for a woman who lost two foundation teeth and eventually required 3 tooth implants because of a dentist’s failure to remove tooth decay before cementing the 3-tooth bridge and crown.
- A $225,000.00 settlement for a man who went in for a root canal procedure only to experience the destruction of gum and bone tissue. The reason? The dentist failed to use a dam near an affected root and the liquid used to kill the root (hydrochloric acid) leaked out into his mouth.
Contact the law offices of Florida dental malpractice attorney Lisa S. Levine P.A. today at (855) 551-8060 to schedule a free consultation. We handle most personal injury cases on a contingency basis; you are not charged a single dime unless we recover financial compensation on your behalf.
