Settlement for Permanent Paralysis Following Wisdom Tooth Removal
Gentry Locke for the Plaintiff
County Circuit Court located in northern Virginia
Gentry Locke represented a woman in her early 40s who underwent a wisdom tooth removal performed by a general dentist. She suffered a permanent nerve injury during the extraction, which she contended resulted from the dentist failing to refer her to an oral surgeon for the procedure. Our client’s experts contended that the removal was too complex for a general dentist to undertake and that the standard of care required referral to an expert in the field of extractions. Had such a referral been made, the tooth would have been extracted without injury to the nerve. Medical experts for the client demonstrated that the nerve injury is permanent. Unfortunately, nothing can be done to correct the injury and the client will require treatment for her symptoms for the rest of her life. After extensive litigation, the case resolved for a confidential amount shortly before trial.
Resolved in favor of our client.