Dental malpractice: Why patients should get their own dental records
The success of a dental malpractice lawsuit can depend on proper documentation of a patient’s treatment as tangible proof that a dentist injured their patient by acting negligently. However, there can be some challenges related to obtaining complete and accurate dental records on behalf of a patient.
When some dental practices receive requests for patient records from dental malpractice attorneys, they have a risk manager look at the records first to protect dentists from incriminating evidence. Records may also be altered or lost during this exchange, whether unintentionally or out of self-preservation. As a result, it is wise for a patient to obtain a copy of their records without alerting a dental office of their intentions to file a dental malpractice claim.
Patients have a right to request a copy of their dental records from their dentist’s office, as outlined in California’s Health & Safety Code. Once a patient has their copy of the records, they can compare their copies to the ones obtained by their attorney. This ensures that all information presented in the case is without error and a patient has a fair chance of winning their malpractice case.
If you have already obtained copies of your dental records and need a dental malpractice attorney in California to help you win your case in court, contact Attorney Dane Levy at the Levy Law Firm. His long history of success and education from USC Dental School will serve you well as you seek compensation.
