Compensation claims against retired dentists
A common question that our dental negligence lawyers gets asked is, ‘Can I sue my dentist, even though they have retired?’ The short answer is yes, in the vast majority of cases you can. In fact, a large proportion of my cases are against retired dentists. It is very common that dental problems only come to light when a dentist retires, and a new one takes over.
Even though the dentist has retired, they would have been required to have insurance when practicing. As long as we are able to trace the dentist and they inform their insurer of the potential claim, then we will be able to pursue a claim on your behalf.
In some instances, the retired dentist may have passed away. This can be a little trickier, but if we are able to locate the Executor of the dentist’s estate, and the Executor notifies the dentist’s insurer of the claim, we can act.
The types of claims against retired dentists are varied. However, missed gum disease is the most common as it can often take many years for problems to become evident. Patients can be attending their dentist regularly for years not realising anything is wrong, whilst at the same time being reassured by their dentist that everything is ok. When a new dentist takes over and carries out the appropriate examinations, extensive problems then come to light. Often with other dental issues such as negligent root canal treatments or crowns, it is obvious to the patient that something is not quite right once the treatment has been carried out.