In December, the Connecticut Dental Commission determined that dentist Rashmi Patel can never again treat a patient under sedation. The ruling came after the death of 64-year-old Judith Gan, who was having extractions and implants performed at Patel’s office in February 2014 when she became unresponsive. Ms. Gan was transported to a local hospital and soon afterwards was pronounced dead. Dental-related fatalities are rare in the United States, but dental malpractice is not.
Everyone requires dental care. When a trained and licensed dentist causes an injury to a patient through carelessness or negligence, it’s dental malpractice. Anyone can be a victim; dental malpractice doesn’t discriminate. If you or a member of your family has suffered an injury in Riverside, San Bernardino, or anywhere in the Inland Empire or southern California region while under a dentist’s care, you may qualify to receive financial compensation through a personal injury lawsuit with the help of an experienced Riverside medical malpractice attorney. The injuries that most frequently occur as the result of dental malpractice include:
– allergic reactions and infections
– injuries to the jaw and other bones
– inappropriate or improper surgery
– damage to nerves in the mouth, jaw, and tongue
– overmedication (including anesthesia)
Very little information is available about the frequency of death or serious injury as a result of undergoing a dental procedure in the United States. There are no national, mandatory reporting requirements, and many states do not require dentists to report when a death or serious injury has occurred. If you or a member of your family has sustained any of the injuries listed here while being treated by a dentist in the Inland Empire area, or if your dental troubles have been insufficiently addressed by your dentist, consult at once with a good Riverside medical malpractice attorney. Your attorney will examine the evidence and suggest your best options based on the specifics of your case.
