Chicago Dental Malpractice Claims

When you think of malpractice, you may think only of doctors. However, many different types of medical workers, including dentists, can be subject to lawsuits for malpractice.

When a dentist makes a mistake, patients can suffer from unnecessary pain and hardship. Our medical negligence attorneys at Kaveny + Kroll can help because we have vast experience with cases involving Chicago dental malpractice claims. If you believe you received substandard care from a dentist, you can seek help from a client-based law firm that will give you the personalized attention your case deserves. While we are a small firm, we have big firm experience, which we can apply to help you.

Symptoms of Dental Malpractice

Although many people think of dental work as cosmetic procedures, dentists and hygienists perform vital work that can impact your health. In addition to cleaning your teeth twice a year, dentists and hygienists treat and manage pain and other symptoms. They also receive training on how to diagnose gum disease and oral cancers that can lead to serious illnesses or even death.

Any mistake made by a dental office can lead to severe consequences, such as the following:

Severe and prolonged pain
Numbness that does not go away
Decreased ability to taste
Anesthesia mistakes, such as novocaine errors
Mistakes during procedures, such as failed extractions, root canals, veneers, dental implants, or crowns
Failure to diagnose and treat signs of cancer or periodontal disease

Our skilled legal team can meet with you to discuss your symptoms to see if you have potentially viable grounds to pursue a legal claim against your dentist or the dental office. Our office has a full-time registered nurse who reviews all potential medical malpractice cases, which gives our attorneys an advantage in determining what constitutes malpractice. We will work with you and be there with you to help you determine if filing a malpractice claim against your Chicago dentist is a wise decision for you and your family.

Potential Effects of Dental Malpractice

A dentist’s mistake can have devastating consequences in your life.

Consequences of Pain

A dental error can result in unrelenting pain. While some pain after a dental procedure is normal, dentists should be able to manage your pain so that it is not unbearable. The pain should be temporary. The pain should not be so difficult that it can interfere with your ability to get through each day. Unrelenting pain may result in you being unable to eat. Your pain can also make it impossible to work, so you will need to take a leave of absence from or even quit your job.

Unnecessary Medical Treatment

You will have to undergo additional dental work because your dentist made a mistake. For instance, if your dentist removed the wrong tooth, you will need to return to the dentist to have them remove the correct tooth. You will also need to get false teeth to cover the gap. Scheduling for the additional medical appointments and healing period can require you to miss more work and result in costly dental and medical bills.

Delayed Treatment

If your doctor failed to recognize the signs of a serious oral disease, such as tongue cancer, your illness can progress significantly. Any delay in the treatment of a life-threatening disease can allow your symptoms to worsen.

Our compassionate attorneys understand how debilitating dental mistakes can be. We work to help hold the responsible dental workers accountable for their errors in Chicago malpractice lawsuits.

Contact an Attorney for Help With a Dental Malpractice Suit in Chicago

Many people fear going to the dentist, and, for most, this fear is based on unfounded beliefs. Sadly, for other people, this fear can come true when a dentist makes a mistake.

If you suspect your dental office made an error that caused you to suffer unnecessary and preventable harm, you should consult with a lawyer who has experience with Chicago dental malpractice claims. Contact Kaveny + Kroll for a free consultation today.

$32M

Recovery for an 8-year-old girl whose four-limbs were amputated after a delay in the diagnosis and treatment of an infection, leading to severe septic shock.

$16M

Recovery for wrongful death of a husband and father of three due to undiagnosed aortic dissection in emergency department 2 days earlier.

$12M

Recovery for a 37-year-old man who suffered the partial amputation of both of his legs and one of his arms after a hospital failed to give him antibiotics for a serious infection (Featured in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin).

$10M

Recovery for a brain-injured newborn after doctors failed to timely deliver the baby by cesarean section.

$9M

Verdict for the wrongful death of a 40-year-old wife and mother of six children and her unborn seventh child after she suffered respiratory arrest due to pneumonia while in the hospital.

$7.5M

Recovery for an infant who suffered brain damage and developed cerebral palsy due to a delayed cesarean section after indications that the baby was not tolerating the labor well.

$15.504M

Recovery for the wrongful death of a 64-year-old man and the debilitating injuries of a 62-year-old woman—both from southern Illinois—arising from a multi-vehicle pile-up on a highway in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

$7M

Verdict for the wrongful death of a 25-year-old helmet-wearing cyclist who was struck and killed by a truck.

$6.5M

Recovery for a 55-year-old Chinese immigrant whose leg was crushed by a Chicago Transit Authority bus making too-tight-a-turn at a downtown intersection. The 55-year-old woman was within the crosswalk at the time of the Chicago accident.

$15M

Recovery for a 34-year old property adjuster in Dallas, Texas, left severely burned after being electrocuted by a dangerously-low-hanging electrical wire on a roof, about which the company had received complaints but failed to correct.

$3M

Recovery for three college students killed in an apartment fire when one fell asleep smoking. Apartment did not have working smoke detectors at the time.

$2.6M

Recovery for the wrongful death of a 24-year-old truck driver who was killed in an Adams County heptane gas explosion, leaving behind a wife and a 3-year-old daughter.

$5.25M

Recovery for a 29-year-old who suffered skull fractures, a traumatic brain injury, an 18-day coma, and partial quadriplegia after his pickup was broadsided by another vehicle, which was attempting to flee from a reckless and unnecessary police chase involving a minor traffic infraction (Featured in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin).

$5M

Verdict resulting from an improper police chase. Fleeing suspect hit car driving through an intersection with mother in front seat and minor daughter in rear. Mother was killed. Entire accident was caught on a nearby CTA bus videocam (Featured in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin).

$1.579M

Verdict for a 58-year-old public school principal whose reputation was damaged after she was wrongfully arrested, wrongfully charged, and wrongfully prosecuted following a fight involving six students at her school in which she merely called 9-1-1.

$148M

Verdict for a paralyzed 24-year-old female injured at O’Hare International Airport (highest compensatory verdict awarded to an individual in Illinois, and top five in U.S., excluding punitive damages).

$15M

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Recovery for a Rolling Meadows high school football player who became a quadriplegic after he was tackled by a teammate into an unpadded, 25 foot-high steel post located 11.5 feet from the sideline of the school’s practice field.

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Verdict for a 33-year-old veteran forced to undergo seven surgeries after his left foot was degloved when it was run over by a forklift while working at an international technology show at McCormick Place.

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Recovery for a 42-year-old Chicago construction worker whose leg was shattered when he fell 20 feet after the steel beam on which he was working collapsed.

Currently seeking recovery on behalf of clients who have filed lawsuits against Abbott Laboratories, Inc. (“Abbott”), Mead Johnson & Company and Mead Johnson Nutrition Company (“Mead Johnson”). Babies born to these plaintiffs developed necrotizing enterocolitis (“NEC”) after they were fed infant formula manufactured by Abbott or Mead Johnson. NEC is a serious gastrointestinal problem that mostly affects premature babies and can lead to permanent injury or death.

Received financial compensation for the families of plaintiffs who were prescribed the pain medication Vioxx manufactured by Merck. The drug was found to cause heart attacks and strokes and has subsequently been withdrawn from the marketplace.

Verdict obtained on behalf of homeowners who lived near the Sterigenics facility and contracted various forms of cancer as a result of ethylene oxide (“EtO”) emissions into the environment by Sterigenics and its parent company, Sotera Health.

$148M

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Recovery for a 31-year-old woman who suffered permanent brain damage after she was struck by public transit bus while jogging.

$4M

Verdict against school district for sex abuse of two minor children by gym teacher off school grounds.

Pending Case

Kaveny + Kroll has filed suit against Northwestern University due to its failure to protect a student who was knowingly experiencing suicidal ideation and planning. The student jumped from a fourth story window and suffered two punctured lungs, multiple broken ribs, damage to internal organs, and traumatic brain injury. The case remains pending.