All medical procedures carry a degree of risk. This includes dental treatments that involve the use of nitrous oxide, anesthesia, and other forms of sedation. Because of the risk, everyone involved in a sedation dental procedure must take special care to ensure the patient doesn’t come to harm.
- What Is Dental Sedation?
- Types of Dental Sedation Injuries
- Here’s Why You Need a Dental Sedation Injury Lawyer
- Dental Sedation Deaths
- Why Choose Dental Sedation Injury Lawyer Lisa Levine?
- Frequently Asked Questions About Dental Sedation Injury Claims
- Get Help From a Fort Lauderdale Dental Sedation Injury Lawyer
When a dental professional fails in this duty, and a patient suffers injury or death as a result, they and their family have a right to seek compensation for the damages caused by their injuries or a loved one’s death. Medical malpractice laws apply to sedation dental errors as well. If you’re dealing with the pain, suffering, and expenses resulting from a dentist’s mistake, contact Fort Lauderdale dental sedation injury lawyer Lisa Levine today.
What Is Dental Sedation?
Visiting the dentist for even a minor procedure can be stressful for some people. Despite recent advancements in tools and techniques, dental treatments can still cause patients a great deal of pain and discomfort. Dental sedation involves the administration of sedation medications to address these problems.
Sedation is often recommended for:
- Dental anxiety
- Low pain tolerance
- Sensitive gag reflexes
- Extensive dental work
It’s commonly used in procedures like wisdom tooth extraction, root canals, or extensive restorative work.
Sedation can range from minimal (where you’re awake but relaxed) to general anesthesia (where you’re fully unconscious). Common types of dental sedation include:
- Nitrous oxide (laughing gas)
- Oral sedation (pills)
- Intravenous (IV) sedation
- General anesthesia
Even minor errors in the administration of these medications can place a patient in peril of injury or death.
Injuries That Can Result From Dental Sedation Errors
Errors can happen at any stage of a sedation dental procedure. There are many sedation dental errors that can lead to injury or death, such as:
- Incorrect dosage
- Improper monitoring of the patient’s condition
- Inadequate training
- Faulty equipment
- Improperly maintained equipment
- Improperly used equipment
- Not reviewing a patient’s medical history (i.e. administering a sedative that patient has a known allergy to)
Sedation dental injuries can range from mild to severe to fatal. They include:
- Respiratory distress or failure, such as hypoxia (lack of oxygen).
- Heart problems, including cardiac arrest.
- Allergic reactions to a medication can cause anaphylaxis, a life-threatening condition, and other problems.
- Aspiration – Inhaling dental materials or fluids, leading to pneumonia or other lung conditions.
- Brain damage resulting from an inadequate supply of oxygen to the brain.
Here’s Why You Need a Dental Sedation Injury Lawyer
If you’ve been injured during a dental treatment due to an error in sedation, Florida state law gives you the right to seek compensation for the damages stemming from your injuries. However, pursuing a claim for dental sedation errors can be challenging, especially if you aren’t familiar with the law. Most people in this position choose to retain the services of an experienced dental sedation injury lawyer.
Not all medical errors are the result of negligence. To be successful, the injured party must be able to establish that a dental professional failed to deliver the accepted standard of care, and this failure resulted in injury or death. They must also be able to prove that this negligence caused their injuries and that these injuries resulted in losses called damages.
Damages resulting from sedation dental errors often include:
- Current and ongoing medical/dental expenses
- Lost wages
- Pain and mental suffering
Of course, you’ll need evidence to support your case. A dental sedation injury lawyer will know how to collect the evidence that will be crucial to your case. This can include medical records, personnel records, expert testimony, eyewitness testimony, etc.
Dental Sedation Deaths
In some instances, these injuries can prove to be fatal. In these cases, the victim’s loved ones may be able to recover compensation for funeral expenses, loss of income, loss of companionship and other damages by filing a wrongful death suit. Consult with a dental sedation death attorney to learn more about your legal rights as the relative of someone who has died as a result of their dental sedation injuries.
Why Choose Dental Sedation Injury Lawyer Lisa Levine?
Lisa Levine is a nationally-recognized personal injury attorney who specializes in medical malpractice litigation, including dental sedation injuries or deaths. She has been defending the rights of those injured by negligent medical and dental professionals for more than 35 years. Lisa is focused on her client’s needs and concerns, using every resource at her disposal to hold negligent medical personnel responsible for the harm caused by their negligent actions.
Lisa can help you at every step of the personal injury claim process, from investigating your accident, and establishing the dental professional’s negligence to identifying and calculating your damages and negotiating with the insurance companies. She’ll fight to get you every dollar you deserve for your damages.
Lisa’s hard work and dedication has enabled her to recover hundreds of millions in cash settlements for clients. This includes a $370,000 settlement for the estate of a man who died of aspiration during a dental procedure.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dental Sedation Injury Claims
How long do I have to file a dental sedation injury claim in Florida?
Florida’s statute of limitation laws states that you have two years from the date of the injury to file a dental sedation injury claim. However, there are rare exceptions. If the injury wasn’t discovered immediately, the time limit may be extended under what is called the “discovery rule.” Consult with a dental sedation injury lawyer as soon as possible is essential to ensure that your claim is filed within the appropriate time frame.
What does it cost to hire a dental sedation injury lawyer?
Lisa Levine, like most personal injury lawyers, works on a contingency fee basis. Under this payment structure, clients don’t pay any upfront fees. Instead, the lawyer receives a percentage of the settlement or court award.
How long does it take to resolve a dental sedation injury case?
Every dental sedation injury case is unique. Depending on the circumstances, a case can settle in a few months or extend to over a year. The complexity of the case, the willingness to settle, and court schedules are some of the factors that influence the duration of a dental sedation injury case.
Speak to Fort Lauderdale Dental Sedation Injury Lawyer Lisa Levine
If you have been injured due to a dental sedation error, it’s important to take steps to protect your rights. Lisa S. Levine P.A. is here to help you recover the compensation you deserve. Here skilled legal representation can put your life back on track after a dental sedation injury accident. Call Fort Lauderdale dental sedation injury lawyer Lisa Levine today at (954) 256-1820 to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.
