Parner
If you or a close relative suffered harm because of sub-standard dental care, dental malpractice lawyers in New York could help you prove the negligence and pursue a claim for money damages. We cannot state a dollar amount that represents the value of your dental malpractice claim without first talking to you and investigating your claim. Every case is different. The amount you might be able to go after will depend on the unique facts of your situation.
Let’s explore some of the types of money damages that can be available in a dental malpractice lawsuit, to help you answer the question of what your dental malpractice claim is worth:
- Medical bills. If the dental error caused you to need additional procedures to correct the harm, you can recover those expenses. If you experienced a medical emergency because of the dental malpractice, like massive bleeding, the cost to treat that situation can be a part of your claim. You can go after the reasonable cost of dental or medical treatment you needed because of the mistake. This category can include things like the ambulance, emergency room, hospital, surgeon, blood transfusions, and pain management.
- Long-term care. Sometimes dentists make errors when administering anesthesia. These mistakes can cause permanent brain damage and leave a person in need of daily medical treatments and personal assistance at a nursing home. These costs can become astronomical. The person who caused the harm should be responsible for these expenses.
- Lost wages. If you lost time from work without pay because of the dental malpractice, you can recover your lost wages, salary, self-employment, and other forms of regular income.
- Pain and suffering. Even when a dental procedure goes as planned, the patient can experience physical discomfort. When a dentist commits malpractice, the pain and emotional distress can be extreme. Although this intangible item can be challenging to quantify in dollars, it is compensable.
- Loss of enjoyment of life. Dental malpractice can reduce your quality of life in many different ways. For example, the failure to diagnose mouth cancer and send the patient to a specialist for evaluation and treatment can cause the person to need radical surgery that removes significant areas of malignant tissue, like the tongue or jaw.
- Wrongful death. Prescription errors, anesthesia mistakes, and failure to make a proper diagnosis can cost the patient his life. If dental malpractice caused the untimely death of your close relative, we might be able to go after additional compensation for the legal beneficiaries.
Depending on your situation, you might have other losses that can be a part of your claim for compensation.
How a New York Dental Malpractice Lawyer Can Help with Your Claim
Although our state’s laws do not force you to work with a lawyer on your dental malpractice claim, it can be wise to do so. The dentist’s malpractice insurance carrier will likely defend against your claim aggressively. The courts usually require the use of expert witnesses in these cases.
You only have a short amount of time to file a lawsuit against the negligent dentist, or you will lose the right ever to get compensation for your losses. Contact us today. Our dental malpractice lawyers can protect your right to compensation and take on the dentist’s liability insurance company on your behalf.