Family claims medical malpractice led to child’s death

January 16th, 2019

On behalf of David Bowling of The Bowling Christiansen Law Firm, A Professional Law Corporation posted in Medical Malpractice on Wednesday, January 16, 2019.

As most Louisiana parents know, a child’s first trip to the dentist is both exciting and a bit scary, for the child and parents alike. In most cases, the experience is generally a positive one, and the child is ready to begin a lifetime of periodic dental visits to keep his or her teeth healthy. Sadly, one family in another state had a vastly different experience. Their 2-year-old son died during a dental procedure, and the parents have now filed a lawsuit against the dental facility and the anesthesiologist involved in the procedure, alleging medical malpractice.

The incident happened in Dec. 2017 when the boy visited the dental facility to undergo pulpotomies (baby root canals) and to have crowns put on his teeth. During a prior visit, the facility, which at the time of the incident was primarily designed for child patients, had recommended the procedure be done. Sadly, the youngster died following the visit.

Among other claims, the lawsuit says that the parents believe they did not give full and informed consent for the procedure and that the employee who oversaw the consent process was not qualified to provide information necessary for them to make an informed decision. The lawsuit also claims that staff failed to properly monitor the child during recovery from the anesthetic, as they very quickly moved on to other patients. The anesthesiologist is also named as a defendant, as he allegedly did not properly recover his patient. The family claims that some of the blame falls on the facility’s business model, as it is designed for maximum productivity, leaving insufficient time between patients leading to child patients being left alone during recovery.

Undoubtedly, this family will never fully recover from this tragic incident, and they will likely always feel their son’s death could have been prevented if sufficient care had been administered. Louisiana residents who believe the death of a loved one was caused due to medical malpractice may wish to consult with an experienced attorney, as this family has, to discuss options for legal recourse. A successfully litigated wrongful death lawsuit may help the family recover unexpected monetary expenses.