Dental Negligence Compensation Claims

Mistakes in your dental care can leave you in pain, cause unsightly damage and even have serious long-term consequences for your health. If things have gone wrong in your dental care then we know how distressing it can be. Our friendly, local team of dental negligence solicitors are here to help you put things right.

Getting compensation can help to pay for restorative dentistry, replace lost income from any time you’ve had to take off work, cover any other costs you’ve incurred and go some way towards making amends for your pain and suffering.

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With over 30 years of experience representing clients in Rhondda Cynon Taff and Bridgend, our dental negligence solicitors can help you to get fair compensation for problems such as:

• Incorrect dental treatment
• Dental misdiagnosis & late diagnosis
• Cosmetic dentistry errors
• Nerve injuries
• Oral cancer misdiagnosis
• Gum disease misdiagnosis & mismanagement
• Restorative dentistry errors

Why choose Devonalds for your dental negligence claim?

For more than three decades, the team here at Devonalds have been helping people just like you to claim dental negligence compensation in South Wales. We take pride in our connection to the local community, with most of our team being born and bred in the Rhondda Cynon Taff area. So, if you’re looking for a personal, local service backed by exceptional legal expertise, we are here for you.

We want you to be completely at ease when you come to us with your dental negligence claims. You’ll work with a dedicated member of our team who’ll always be available by phone and email to answer your questions and to update you on the progress of your claim in plain English. If you choose to instruct us at Devonalds you can be confident of getting the personal service you deserve.

Many people worry that claiming dental negligence compensation will involve going to court, which is something we know most would rather avoid. However, with our team this is rarely necessary as we can almost always secure fair compensation with an out-of-court settlement. This means you get the compensation you need faster, with lower legal fees and much less stress.

Speak to us about starting a dental negligence claim today

For a friendly, informal discussion about whether you might be entitled to dental negligence compensation, please contact your local team in Bridgend, Caerphilly, Church Village, Pontypridd, Talbot Green, Tonypandy, Treorchy or Tylorstown.

How dental negligence compensation claims work

Starting a claim for dental negligence compensation in South Wales

It can be hard to know what you can do if you have been harmed by poor quality dental care. You may be unsure about your rights, whether you are entitled to compensation and how the dental negligence claims process works.

We offer a free initial consultation with one of our dental negligence solicitors who can talk you through these issues and any other questions or concerns you have. There is no obligation to move forward with a claim following this first conversation, but it means you will have the information you need to make an informed choice about pursuing a claim if you then wish to do so.

No win, no fee, no risk dental negligence claims

The cost of making a claim can be an off-putting thought, but in most cases, this is not something you will need to worry about. This is because most dental negligence claims we deal with are funded using a Conditional Fee Agreement or ‘no win, no fee’ deal.

With a no win, no fee dental negligence claim, you do not need to pay us anything upfront to start a claim. Our fees will only be applied if we secure compensation for you, so if you do not receive compensation, you won’t owe us anything, hence the term ‘no win, no fee’.

In some cases, our fees can be recovered from the other side, meaning that even if your claim is successful, you may not have to cover our fees.

How to prove dental negligence

The first step in building your claim is to prove that dental negligence has occurred. We will do this by looking at various types of evidence, including:

• Your dental records
• Your general medical records
• Examinations by independent dental experts
• Witness testimony

By building the strongest possible case from the outset, we can significantly increase your chances of securing an early settlement as well as giving you the best chance of a positive outcome if court proceedings are required.

Valuing your claim

Once we have established that you have a claim, we will need to determine how much compensation you may be entitled to. This is sometimes referred to as ‘assessing quantum’ or ‘assessing quantum of damages’.

We will make sure all of the ways in which your injuries have impacted your life are taken into consideration – including the financial and non-financial consequences. This means you can be confident of getting the maximum damages and all the help you need to get your life back on track.

The value of your claim could potentially cover damages for issues including:

• The cost of restorative dentistry
• Lost income if you have to take time off work
• Your pain and suffering
• Travel costs and other expenses
• Loss of amenity i.e. not being able to carry out activities you would normally have been able to due to your injuries

Time limits for dental negligence compensation claims

When it comes to dental negligence time limits, you normally have 3 years to make a claim from the date when the negligence occurred or when you first became aware of it. However, you may have longer to claim depending on the circumstances.

The most common exception with dental negligence claims is if the claimant was under 18 at the time when the negligence occurred. In such cases, their parents or guardians will have until the claimant turns 18 to bring a claim on their behalf. If this is not done, the claimant can bring their own claim up until their 21^st birthday.

Out-of-court settlements for negligent dentistry

Our team of no win, no fee dental negligence solicitors have very strong skills in negotiation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), so we can almost always agree damages for dental negligence with an out-of-court settlement.

This not only allows you to avoid the stress and uncertainty of court proceedings, but also means you will typically get compensation much faster and with lower legal fees. That way, you can get the help you need and move on with your life sooner.

If your claim goes to court

In the unlikely event that court proceedings are needed to get you fair dental compensation, we will be with you every step of the way. We will make sure your case is prepared effectively and that you have the strongest possible representation, giving you the best chance of a positive outcome.

We will also be there to provide the personal support you need for what we recognise can be a stressful process. This way, we can help you to get the compensation you deserve, while making proceedings as easy as we can for you.

Common questions about dental negligence compensation claims

What counts as dental negligence?

Dental negligence is where the standard of dental care you receive falls below acceptable clinical standards. This means that errors were made which any competent dental practitioner would not have made in the same circumstances.

Examples of dental negligence might include where a dental professional:

• Damaged your teeth, gums or other areas of your mouth
• Removed the wrong tooth or teeth
• Missed signs of a serious medical condition, such as oral cancer

Can you claim for a nerve injury following dental surgery?

Yes, you can make a dental negligence claim against your dentist if their actions, or inaction, caused nerve damage. If this damage is to the trigeminal nerve, it can lead to numbness of the lips, tongue and face which can cause eating and speaking difficulties as well as other complications.

Depending on the severity and location of the damage to the trigeminal nerve, it might recover in time. However, sometimes surgery is needed to reconnect severed nerves, and some people require a nerve graft to replace the damaged nerve with a healthy one.

If you are suffering from nerve damage caused by dental negligence, get in contact with the best dental negligence solicitors in your area to ensure you receive the appropriate level of compensation to treat your injuries.

Can you make a claim for oral cancer misdiagnosis?

Yes, if a dentist has failed to detect oral cancer or has failed to refer you for further diagnostics and treatment, you can bring a dental compensation claim. Oral cancer must be diagnosed quickly and accurately to improve your chances of a full recovery.

Can you make a claim for cosmetic dental negligence?

Yes, if a dentist has provided negligent cosmetic dental care, you can sue them for dental negligence compensation. As long as you can prove the care provided was substandard, directly caused injury, or caused an existing condition to get worse, you can contact your local dental negligence solicitors to make a claim.

How much compensation can you get for negligent dental treatment?

This will depend on the circumstances, with the potential value of your claim being based on factors including:

• The impact on your health
• The effect on other areas of your life
• Any specific costs you have been left with, such as paying for restorative dentistry

We will give a realistic estimate of your claim’s likely value as soon as possible, so you can make an informed decision about moving forward with your claim.

How long does a dental negligence claim take?

It’s important to be honest about the timeframes involved in a dental negligence claim, so you have a realistic idea of what to expect.

In some cases, it can be possible to secure dental compensation in as little as a few months if the dental practitioner accepts liability and offers a fair settlement. However, if the dental practitioner denies liability or does not offer a reasonable settlement, it can take up to several years to secure compensation for dental negligence.

Generally, the higher value the claim, the more likely it is that a dental professional will dispute their liability and/or the level of damages, so therefore the longer the claim is likely to take.

Start a dental negligence compensation claim

For a friendly, informal discussion about whether you might be entitled to dental negligence compensation, please contact your local team in Bridgend, Caerphilly, Church Village, Pontypridd, Talbot Green, Tonypandy, Treorchy or Tylorstown.