Lawsuit Filed Over Dental Death

It is rare for someone to imagine their life being on the line when they go to a dentist’s office. Dental procedures, while medical in nature, are rarely the site of intense complications, heart monitors, and patients being in critical condition. While there may be this conception around dental work, things may still go wrong. This was the case for one family in Texas.

Tragedy struck a family in Austin, Texas last year when their daughter lost her life during a dental procedure. Daisy Torres, just a little over a year old, was set for a routine cavity filling at her local dental office. the dentist conducting the operation requested she be placed under anesthesia, this is when complications began. Daisy stopped breathing during the operation and had to be rushed to the hospital, where she later lost her life. The family has now filed a lawsuit against the dentist’s office for the wrongful death of their child.

The Lawsuit

There are a number of details that have come to light since the filing of the Torres family’s lawsuit. Reports say that the dental office and defendant, Austin Children’s Dentistry, first informed the family that the Daisy had two cavities that needed filling. To the family’s surprise, while they were in the waiting room, they were informed that Daisy suddenly had six cavities, and needed four root canals and four crowns. Then, shortly after the procedure began, Daisy began experiencing complications and was later rushed to the emergency room.

The lawsuit also points out certain disturbing details. Daisy’s mother wished to remain in the room during the operation but was denied this request. Two expert forensic odontologists have stated that Daisy’s treatment was unnecessary. Finally, several families have come forward for the case to say that Austin Children’s Dentistry has subjected their children to unnecessary, and oftentimes expensive, dental work. In addition, while the dentist and anesthesiologist involved in this operation where under a brief review for their license, as of the initial filing of the case neither of them faced any consequences from any state medical or dental boards.

Dentistry Cases

Though often treated casually, dentistry is a form of medical expertise, and as such, any sort of injuries, claims, and the like that arise regarding a dental affair gone wrong, are often brought up as medical malpractice claims. In Daisy’s case, there was also an anesthesiologist involved in the incident that claimed her life, so her family’s attorney may be bringing this case forward as a medical malpractice claim. In addition to the loss of their daughter’s life, there are also a number of allegations that the dental office was engaging in behavior that overextended their expertise in order to keep patients coming back. This may likely be included in the lawsuit.

If you or a loved one has been injured, contact the legal professionals at Gilman & Bedigian today.