While any medical procedure can be inherently risky, few people in Ontario would consider a dental appointment a potentially dangerous undertaking. Sadly, for one young girl and her family in another province, a routine visit turned tragic after she suffered a grievous personal injury during an extraction. Her family is now suing the office, including the dentist, for $26 million.
The incident occurred on Sept. 7, 2016. Due to a cancellation, a young girl, who was only supposed to have a consultation, underwent an extraction procedure that was performed using general anaesthetic. As she lay in a recovery room, the now 5-year-old girl stopped breathing. According the suit, she was not properly monitored at the time, and no one noticed her distress. EMS responders administered oxygen to the girl, and reports show her oxygen levels had dropped to zero percent.
In the lawsuit, her parents allege the dental staff’s failure to monitor their daughter was directly responsible for the hypoxic brain injury she suffered. They are suing for loss of income, loss of earning capacity, cost of care and other damages on their daughter’s behalf. Additionally, they seek damages for loss of earning capacity and loss of income for themselves.
An act of apparent negligence such as this can transform the life of the victim irreversibly, and those of the victim’s family. The cost of care following a debilitating personal injury can be extremely high, beyond the reach of the average household income. After suffering a serious injury, a conversation with a lawyer may shed light on a person’s rights in Ontario, and begin the journey to well-deserved compensation.
Source: Edmonton Sun, “Edmonton dentist sued for $26 million“, Catherine Griwkowsky, Feb. 25, 2017
