Wrongful Death

When a patient dies due to dental malpractice, it is the family who are entitled to compensation. As a premiere dental malpractice lawyer in California, Dane Levy can help you with wrongful death litigation stemming from dental negligence. Whether caused by medicine, improper medical procedures, or anesthesia, deaths should never occur when under the care of a trained dental professional. Whatever the cause, Dane Levy can help you with your dental malpractice claim.

Selected excerpts of reported cases, decisions and settlements. The following factual scenarios and dental malpractice case summaries have been reported in various publications or handled by this law firm.

Case: Defendant negligently failed to diagnose patient’s condition before a tooth extraction. Patient suffered a fatal stroke. Patient’s family also alleged that in view of patient’s lethargic condition and difficulty in speaking, the extraction should have been done in a hospital and that defendant dentist negligently failed to give postoperative instructions to seek medical advice. Patient allegedly exhibited pre-stroke symptoms, which should have put defendant dentist on notice that he was not a suitable candidate for the extraction or narcotics. Settlement Confidential.

Case: Unsafe administration of general anesthesia to patient with numerous medical problems results in cardiac arrest and wrongful death. Patient went to defendant dentist for a check-up. Patient had a history of high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and total renal failure due to lupus. Despite patient’s doctor advising against general anesthesia outside a hospital setting, patient consented to the use of general anesthesia anyhow. Patient went into cardiac arrest and died. Jury verdict: $425,000.00

Case: Dentist’s negligent administration of 5 carpules of local anesthesia results in respiratory and cardiac arrest ­ Wrongful Death. Patient went to defendant dentist for elective tooth extractions. Patient disclosed hypertension and congestive heart disease on medical history forms. After the administration of 5 carpules of anesthesia, patient became semiconscious, began to have difficulty breathing, and went into respiratory arrest. Patient died shortly thereafter of congestive heart failure. Settlement: $300,000.00

Case: Failure to administer antibiotics prior to cleaning results in infection and death. Routine cleaning was performed by defendant two months after plaintiff had an abdominal aortic aneurysm graft performed. Defendant failed to prescribe prophylactic antibiotics before the cleaning in accordance with the American Heart Association’s protocol. Plaintiff developed an infection at the graft site and died several months later. Settlement: $300,000.00