Dental Negligence Claim Solicitors Accrington

Dental malpractice claims in Accrington can take somewhere between a few months to a few years to settle. The severity and complexity of your injury or issue can be just two of the most crucial factors that affect this timeframe. Typically, the bigger and more complex the case, the longer it will take to resolve.

It’s almost impossible for us to give even a general idea at this stage of how much you can expect to receive, as it’s all so heavily dependent on the specifics of your case. However, once you’ve had a more detailed discussion with one of our dental negligence claims solicitors, we’ll be able to provide you with a clearer picture of how much compensation you could receive.

During your diagnosis or treatment, if your dentist has made a mistake or misjudgement that’s directly resulted in an injury or illness for you, then you may have a claim for dental negligence compensation. (You might choose to bring a claim because your treatment has introduced a new issue, or exacerbated an existing one.)

Wherever possible, we’ll pursue your case on a No Win, No Fee basis, so there’s no financial risk to you.

Dental negligence generally occurs during diagnosis or treatment. If you’ve suffered harm due to any of the following, you may be eligible for compensation.

• Periodontitis (gum disease) which your dentist has failed to correctly diagnose and treat within an acceptable timeframe.
• Incorrect or inadequate fitting of implants, in which your dentist has made a mistake or oversight during the procedure.
  Poorly-performed cosmetic procedures, like veneers, crowns, bridges and teeth whitening.
• Issues arising from tooth extraction procedures, which may have led to damage of the nerves and gums. (In particularly rare cases, the wrong tooth may even have been extracted.)

It’s worth noting that not every failed dental treatment automatically means that your dentist was negligent.

Your solicitor will be able to tell you whether or not you have a strong claim. For your case to have the best chance of success, you must be able to present evidence that demonstrates this negligence occurred, and proves the harm you may have suffered as a result.

In order for one of our dental negligence solicitors to move forward with your claim, we’ll first need to collect various types of evidence, including medical records, independent medical assessments, and impartial witness testimony.

Obtaining your medical records can take anywhere between a few weeks to a few months, but it’s essential in helping us to establish whether or not the treatment you received was negligent, and assessing the subsequent impact on your health, wellbeing and quality of life.

For your claim to be successful, you must be able to prove the following:

• Breach. Evidence must show that the dentist breached his or her duty by falling short of the required standard of care, which is measured against other reasonable dentists of average skill.
• Causation. You must be able to prove that the dentist’s breach of duty directly caused you harm. If this direct link cannot be conclusively proven, your claim cannot proceed.
• Damages. Proof must be provided of the existence, nature and extent of the harm you suffered as a result of your dentist’s breach of care. If the negligence didn’t result in harm, your case is very unlikely to succeed.

Dental negligence can have a severe impact on your quality of life, and it’s not unusual for these cases to have long term consequences over months or even years. (Some consequences, sadly, can be permanent.) Accordingly, you may be able to claim for the following:

• Pain and suffering you’ve endured as a result of the negligence
• Loss of earnings if you’ve had to take time off work
• Travel and living costs, including the costs of adapting your car or home
• Ongoing illness and recovery time
• Costs of care, including compensation for the care and support provided by any friends or family members
• Medical expenses – including the costs of any further or corrective treatment – physiotherapy, prescription charges and painkillers