Dental Malpractice
NC Dental Malpractice Lawyers
When you visit the dentist’s office or have dental surgery, you should be able to expect that your dentist or dental care provider will take precautions and proper care to ensure that you do not suffer an avoidable injury. However, dental malpractice happens more often in North Carolina than you might expect, and many injuries that result from dental malpractice are preventable.
The American Dental Association (ADA) emphasizes that dentists are held to a certain standard of care, and falling below those standards could amount to dental malpractice.
If you or someone you love suffered an injury as a result of a dentist’s error, you may be able to file a claim for compensation. Dental malpractice lawsuits are similar to medical malpractice claims—and in fact are a form of medical malpractice—in that they allow an injured patient to hold a liable healthcare provider responsible for losses.
An aggressive dental malpractice lawyer, like Harry Albritton of Irons & Irons P.A., can get started on your case today.
Common Forms of Dental Malpractice in NC
Dental malpractice can take many different forms, including but not limited to:
- Failure to diagnose a serious dental problem (leading the patient to avoid seeking treatment, and the problem worsening);
- Misdiagnosing a dental problem (leading the patient to have the incorrect treatment for the problem);
- Performing an unnecessary dental treatment, such as filling a cavity when the patient does not actually have a cavity;
- Unnecessary tooth extraction;
- Incorrect administration of anesthesia during a dental procedure;
- Performing a dental procedure on the wrong tooth;
- Using dental equipment that has been improperly sterilized and causes an infection;
- Causing nerve damage during a routine dental procedure;
- Infections or other complications from improperly completed crowns;
- Failure to accurately read and consider a patient’s dental history; and/or
- Intentional harm while a patient is sedated for a dental procedure.
Statute of Limitations for Bringing a Dental Malpractice Lawsuit?
When a patient is injured as a result of a dentist’s negligence, that patient only has a short time window in which to speak with a lawyer and file a claim for compensation. Since dental malpractice claims are a form of personal injury law, the personal injury statute of limitations of three years typically applies to most dental malpractice claims.
Under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-15, a patient has three (3) years from the date of the injury to file a claim for compensation. However, if the dental error was such that the patient did not immediately know of the harm and later learned that an injury resulted from a dental error, that patient has up to two (2) years from the date of discovering the error to file a claim, as long as the claim is brought within four (4) years from the date of the initial injury.
How Can a Dental Malpractice Lawyer Help?
A dental malpractice lawyer can help you to obtain the compensation you deserve. Attorney Albritton of Irons & Irons P.A. has a record of success when it comes to handling dental malpractice lawsuits.
For example, we obtained a $1.3 million settlement in an unnecessary dental procedures case in which multiple families paid for excessive dental work for their children that were unnecessary based on X-rays. We also obtained a $50,000 settlement for a dental patient who was harmed as a result of a sinus cavity perforation while at the dentist’s office for a routine visit.
We also have experience handling intentional dental misconduct. For instance, we obtained a $55,000 settlement for a family whose child was physically abused during dental treatment.
Our Clients Trust Us to Handle Their Dental Malpractice Claims
With Attorney Albritton and Irons & Irons P.A., our clients trust us to handle their cases and to work tirelessly to obtain compensation on their behalf.
Contact a North Carolina Dental Malpractice Lawyer
Were you injured as a result of a dentist’s negligence or intentionally harmful act? An experienced North Carolina dental malpractice lawyer can speak with you today about your claim. Contact Attorney Harry Albritton of Irons & Irons P.A. for more information.