After more than two decades, Lance Ehrenberg, Esq., a prominent dental malpractice attorney based in Manhattan, continues to fight vigorously for the rights of dental malpractice victims throughout New York. Realizing the complexity and stress of legal proceedings, he provides free case evaluations and does not charge any attorney’s fees until your case is won.
If you have experienced harm due to any of the following kinds of dental negligence, it is time to contact Lance Ehrenberg to discuss your best legal options. His reputation for exceptional client service is well-deserved. You can depend on him to be compassionate as well as diligent and highly skilled.
Breaches That May Lead to Dental Malpractice Lawsuits
Unfortunately, there are a great many ways in which dentists can breach their duty of care to their patients. Victims of the following types of negligence are entitled to receive meaningful damages for their loss of income, medical expenses, and pain and suffering:
Failure To Take a Complete Medical History
One of the foundational aspects of patient care is the thorough collection of a patient’s medical history. Negligence in this area can lead to severe, sometimes life-threatening complications. A complete medical history informs dental professionals of allergies, medications, previous surgeries, and existing medical conditions that may affect treatment choices and outcomes. Lawsuits are too often the result of dentists’ failures to take, or pay attention to, medical histories, resulting in adverse reactions to treatments, medications, or anesthesia that could easily have been avoided.
Failure to Get Informed Consent
Informed consent is a crucial legal and ethical obligation for any dental procedure. Your dentist is responsible for explaining the nature of the recommended treatment — its risks, benefits, and possible alternatives — before obtaining your consent to proceed. If you were never advised about risks or options, you may well have grounds for a malpractice claim.
Diagnostic Mistakes
A correct and timely diagnosis is critical to proper dental care. Misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose are common grounds for dental malpractice lawsuits. The consequences of incorrect diagnoses of dental bone loss, periodontal disease, infection or oral cancer are common grounds for dental malpractice lawsuits since they can lead to unnecessary tooth loss, untreated progression of disease, unnecessary treatments or even loss of life.
Bad Dental Work
Bad dental work encompasses a range of poor outcomes from dental treatments, including:
- Improperly placed crowns and bridges
- Bad extractions
- Nerve damage
- Poorly performed root canals
- Unnecessary tooth loss
- Substandard full mouth restoration
Such negligence can be the cause of significant pain, infection, and even disfigurement, necessitating further treatment and/or corrective surgeries. Whether the result of your dentist’s lack of skill, improper techniques, or carelessness, bad dental work can have devastating effects on your health and quality of life.
Anesthesia Errors
Anesthesia errors are among the most dangerous types of dental malpractice. These errors range from administering an incorrect dose to using the wrong type of anesthesia or failing to monitor the patient’s vital signs during a procedure. The consequences of anesthesia errors can be severe, including breakthrough pain during dental surgery due to administration of too small a dose or brain injury, coma or death due to an overdose.
Surgical Mistakes
Surgical mistakes in dentistry, such as extracting the wrong tooth, cutting at the wrong site, leaving surgical instruments in the mouth or gums, or causing excessive damage to surrounding tissues, can have catastrophic outcomes. These errors can lead to prolonged recovery times, additional surgeries, and permanent damage. Surgical mistakes often result from a lack of planning, poor technique, or failure to follow surgical protocols, underscoring the need for meticulous attention to detail in dental surgeries.
Failure To Refer to a Specialist
It is critical that dentists, like all healthcare professionals, recognize when a patient’s condition requires the attention of another type of dental specialist or a doctor in another discipline, such as an oncologist, hematologist or endocrinologist. Failure to refer a patient to a specialist, whether for advanced periodontal disease, complex root canal treatments, or oral cancer screening, can be a dreadful mistake. Whether your dentist’s arrogance or thoughtlessness is to blame, such oversight can lead to the progression of untreated conditions, resulting in more complex and costly treatments, or in the most tragic cases, irreversible health outcomes.
Improper Sterilization
The risk of infection is a concern in all medical and dental treatments. Dentists and dental staff are required to follow strict sterilization protocols to ensure that all instruments and surfaces are free from pathogens that could cause infections. Improper sterilization can lead to the transmission of bacterial, viral, or fungal infections, including serious diseases like hepatitis or HIV. Lawsuits based on improper sterilization practices focus on the failure of dental professionals to adhere to established infection control guidelines, resulting in preventable infections that can become systemic and potentially fatal.
Give Yourself an Edge — Contact Lance Ehrenberg Today
When it comes to having an in-depth understanding of New York laws pertaining to dental negligence, Lance Ehrenberg is at the top of his game. Not only does he have well-polished legal skills; he has the determination necessary to provide you with the maximum damages you need and deserve.
His impressive track record of settlements and positive courtroom verdicts testifies to his commitment to justice for victims of dental malpractice. Call our office now for the reassurance that comes from dealing with a consummate professional. Lance is a formidable advocate — make sure he is at your side when you need him most.