Guide to Claiming Dental Negligence for Private Dental Treatment
If you have received private dental treatment that wasn’t up to the standard of care that you expect and you have been injured and suffered as a result, you might find that you are eligible to make a claim for compensation..
Dental negligence can take many different forms. Most private dental treatment is carried out to the high standards you would expect, but sometimes mistakes do happen, and dental professionals fail in their duty of care.
This could be a dental procedure that goes wrong, a mistake made during a procedure that causes an injury or requires further restorative treatment to rectify, or even if your private dentist failed to talk to you about the potential risks of a specific treatment plan before going ahead. Your dentist may also have failed to diagnose and treat a problem that they should have picked up on.
If you are let down by a private dental professional and unhappy with private dental treatment, it isn’t just the pain, discomfort and inconvenience caused by the negligence that you might have to deal with. You may also experience a knock to your confidence, especially if the dental problem caused by the negligence has affected the way your teeth look or your ability to speak or eat without issues. On top of this, private dental treatment can be costly, so you may also find yourself seriously out of pocket, and still needing further treatment.
What to do if you’re unhappy with private dental treatment
If you feel that your dentist was negligent in your care and want to know if you can make a claim for compensation, you will need to take expert legal advice.
The Dental Law Partnership can help you find out if you might be able to make a claim and offer free initial advice to discuss your options. Get in touch today by calling 0808 252 5331.
If you’re not happy with the treatment that you have received from your private dentist, you can also make a complaint to the practice. If you’re unable to resolve the problem to your satisfaction this way, private dentist complaints can also be made to the Dental Complaints Service (DCS).
Making a dental negligence claim against a private dentist
As every claim is individual and has its own set of circumstances, the exact process can vary, but it always starts with taking expert dental negligence legal advice to find out if you have a claim to pursue.
If you do have a good chance of making a successful dental negligence claim against your private dentist, the funding options will be discussed. It may well be possible to bring your claim on a no win, no fee basis. This means that if your claim isn’t successful you won’t have to pay towards any legal fees.
The evidence in relation to your case will need to be gathered, including any dental records, a dental examination by a medical expert and the details of any financial losses or out of pocket expenses you have as a result of the negligence.
Your private dentist will be informed of the claim by your solicitors and given a timeframe to respond. If they admit negligence or wish to settle the claim, your solicitors will negotiate a settlement on your behalf. If the dentist wishes to refute the claim, it may need to go to court. If this happens, and your claim is successful, the judge will decide on the amount of compensation awarded.
You can find out more about the process of making a dental negligence claim here.
If you’d like to talk to someone about whether you have a valid dental negligence claim or want to discuss your options, get in touch with the team at Dental Law Partnership by calling 0808 271 7699, requesting a callback, or making an online enquiry.