Am I eligible to claim for nerve damage to lips by dentist? My lips have been numb ever since getting my wisdom tooth extracted and I think it may be due to nerve damage.
You may eligible to pursue a claim for nerve damage to lips by the dentist; however, it is vital that you seek professional medical help at the first possible moment so that you will know for certain that you are indeed suffering from nerve damage. Your health should always be a top priority after sustaining any sort of dental negligence injury or illness. If you do not see a medical practitioner at the soonest possible opportunity, your lip condition could worsen as a result and no amount of medical negligence claim is worth long-term nerve damage. Additionally, your final claim settlement could potentially be reduced if you are found to have contributed to the severity of your lip nerve damage because of what is in legal terms is known as “contributory negligence”.
After seeking medical attention, you should discuss your potential claim for when your dentist caused lip nerve damage with a medical negligence claims solicitor. After you inform them of the circumstances in which you experienced dental negligence and nerve damage and the subsequent impact this has had on your life, they will be able to determine whether or not you have a viable claim that is worth pursuing.
Dental medical negligence claims can be complicated because of how difficult it can be to establish negligence. Furthermore, if you were advised of the risk of lip nerve damage before your wisdom tooth was removed, it may be difficult to pursue a claim. Your solicitor will attempt to establish negligence by consulting with an independent dental expert. If the dental expert considers your dentist to have caused your lip nerve damage due to negligence, your solicitor may agree to proceed with your claim.
Your claim for dental negligence nerve damage will be caclulated by taking into account various factors. The solicitors involved will find a base value for your claim from The Book of Quantum — a publication the lists various injuries and their claim values based on their severity and permanency. This value will be adjusted to account for your age, sex, dental health prior to the damage to your nerves, the pain and suffering you have endured and the subsequent impact it has had on your life. You should also be able to claim for medical expenses you have incurred and will incur if subsequent medical treatment is necessary, in addition to loss of finances if you have been unable to work as well as any other necessary costs as part of the area of claim known as special damages.
A claim for nerve damage to lips by your dentist could be complicated, so it is advisable to contact a medical negligence solicitor with experience in such claims at the first possible moment. They will be able to provide you with more specific advice than what has been provided here in addition to advising you of how best to proceed.