BAD DENTAL WORK..
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BAD DENTAL WORK..
A DENTIST WAS REPLACING A CROWN FOR ME, SHE DRILLED THE
STRUCTURE TOO CLOSE TO THE GUM, CROWN WOULDN’T STAY ON, HAD TO
FIND A DENTIST TO FIX IT, COST ME 5000 TO GET A BRIDGE
BECAUSE IT WAS A FRONT TOOTH….DO I HAVE ANY RECOURSE TO
RECOVER ANY OF MY MONEY?
Asked on May 28, 2017 under Malpractice Law, Alabama
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 6 years ago | Contributor
Legally, you have recourse. Practically, it may not be a great option, unfortunately.
Your recourse would be to sue for malpractice: if you can show (as it appears you can, based on what you write) that the work was done negligently or carelessly (e.g. drilling too close to the gum), you should be able to show that malpractice was committed. If it was, you can recover the cost to correct the problem and possibly some amount for "pain and suffering" if it has caused long lasting pain, impairment, etc.
The problem is that malpractice cases are expensive, even without considering the cost of an attorney (and it would be difficult to successfully bring a malpractice case without a lawyer): you MUST have a medical (i.e. dental) expert (like another dentist) write a report and, if the case goes to trial, testify in court. And such experts do not work cheap--typically, this can cost $1,500 - $3,000 for their time, testimony, etc. You have to bear that cost yourself: you cannot recover it from the other side. So you have to be in a position to and willing to invest money in the case with not guaranty of winning (no case is every guaranteed; never believe any attorney who says it is).
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