anyone know where to get legal advice...

[janetg]

i think i have a very viable 'situation' going on with some dentistry i had done recently - which resulted in 2 additional surgeries to fix the dentistry work. in between the dentistry and oral surgery - there seemed to be confusion on the dentists part as to whether or not there was an infection that resulted from this work.

also - the decisions under which this was all done - while while i was heavily sedated. i'm hearing from friends..that this is like really bad...illegal kind of bad.

one of the results of this decision was that a perfectly good tooth - is now ground to a nub and requires a crown - it's a long and drawn out story, which i'm sure no one is really interested in but..

if anyone knows someone that i could talk to for say a phone consultation fee or something - i would appreciate the referral.

janetg

[Howard Barlow]

anyone know where to get legal advice

Just a wild guess, but I would think...mmm.. lawyer?

[janetg]

well howard - thanks - i couldn't have figured that one out - duh...

let me clarify the question. besides randomly looking in the yellow pages for a lawyer..does anyone have a personal acquaintance of the lawyer-ly persuasion that they know can offer advice via a phone conversation for a price.

there are plenty of scheister lawyers just trying to make a buck for negligle return. i just want someone that is known to be trustworthy who can answer specific questions, short and sweet. i don't necessarily want to employ that lawyer, but would like to know where my bargaining chips lie with the original dentist. who by the way - wants to charge me even more money for additional services.

so...key word being referral here...if anyone has one - i would still appreciate it.

[Howard Barlow]

Janet,
Most all lawyers offer a free initial visit. Call 2 or 3 of the better known in your area and inquire about it.

[Angelo]

Janet, I don't think there's any worthwhile attorney that will offer advice over the phone.
If you feel you have a case then search for an attorney, in the medical field, that will investigate the claim and provide you with the best alternatives.

If I am reading you right, you are trying to get good advice at the lowest cost possible.
I go back to the old adage, you pay for what you get.

It may cost you some money just to determine whether you have any recourse against the dentist.

I also concur and use Howard's Warning Statement:
WARNING: My opinion may appear more useful than it actually is. :^)

I hope you are able to determine whether you were wronged and if so, receive just compensation.

[janetg]

thanks everyone. i have never been in a position such as this before, which is why i am unsure of how or even if i should proceed.

i do know that a decision made while under anesthetic cost me a perfectly good tooth with no known prior problems and was not on the original dental plan for that day.

in addition to that, if i now change my mind on what happens to that whole area - ie, implant vs. bridge - i am out an additional 3k over the the total of around 4k for the original treatment. 2k of that was added at the time of the procedure and that decision under the anesthetic. none of which i remember at all.

add to that the ordeal that went on afterwards which resulted in another 1k at an oral surgeon's office, and i'm starting to get ticked now that i'm feeling better finally.

[Howard Barlow]

Angelo, I was not advocating getting advice on the phone. My point was to call attys and find out if they offered the no fee consult. Most do. If they do, go to their office. Come on, folks, this really isn't this difficult. If you want legal advice, go to a lawyer. If you don't know one, interview several. Good grief, Charlie Brown, I'm sorry I bothered.

[12stones]

Howard, she's not questioning whether she needs one, she's trying to find out if anyone here can give her the name of a reputable one that's already proven. It's not so hard to understand. If she interviews 20 she's still taking a chance, but if one person could give her a referral from experience, then she's already a step ahead. So, no, it's not difficult.

Wish I could help, Janet, but I haven't had to use a lawyer (knock on wood).

[dcnctx]

Suggestions only:

By all means, scratch that dentist off your list if you haven't already and if there is currently a dental problem remaining, begin with a reputable and recommended dentist to identify and correct the problem and possibly recommend advice but don't count too much on this unless it's a total botched job.

Dental issues have a way of getting worse with time potentially eliminating some options to correct and I've always heard infections from teeth can be life-threating. (Not to alarm)
On a sidenote, if you happen to have dental insurance, they have staff lawyers and if it's become a medical problem, the a regular insurance staff lawyers might assist in some way through your insurance.

I would begin at a new & recommended dentist.

If you think there's a genuine problem, it might be a good idea to get your dental records to another dentist before you persue any action.

At any rate, good luck!

Maybe Texas Young Lawyers Association can provide some legal advice.
http://www.tyla.org/citizens.html

[Digigeek]

Look for a lawyer who is board certified in personal injury and who specializes in medical malpractice claims in your area. Most will offer a free consultation and if they take your case will do so on a contingency fee basis.

There is a catch though. As a result of the tort reform of the last several years, the good lawyers are only looking at cases involving death and serious disability in conjunction with clear liability with high monetary losses. The cost of preparing the cases is very high, and the potential recoveries have been severely limited by the tort reform laws. Moreover, the insurance companies are less willing to settle and more willing to try cases which results in a greater cost to the attorneys. The result is that you will probably be hard pressed to find a good lawyer to take the case on a contingency. You may be able to hire someone to handle it for an hourly fee, but your legal fees would likely be higher than your dental bills before all is said and done.

Good luck.

[janetg]

well, i took some advice from another friend and called my dental insurance company and told them my sad story. they bumped me immediately to a 'senior' advisor and after repeating the whole ordeal yet again...she advised me to get the grievance form from their website - fill it out and get it back to them asap. there was a mention of 'informed consent' and how that fits into what happened - and also they want to investigate what procedures were performed and deemed 'necessary'.

this is great news for me - as i feel like i was railroaded into making a decision that cost me lots of money. and technically was a bad decision in general because i did not have all the facts about how it affects the future of the teeth involved. and while that may not seem like a topic you face everyday - or of much importance, it really is.

interestingly enough - i also received a call from the periodonitist/implant specialist they referred me to - while i was on the phone with the insurance company - he wanted to know what he could do for me to get my business for this implant..i said 2 questions...and the first one...can it wait until january? his reply was yes - it can..and the second...would you ever let a patient make a decision under anesthestic..the answer was 'no, i would not. i know what happened, and i can't comment. i know i would never do that to a patient.'

so that pretty much lets me know - i'm on the right track here with my thinking process.

i'll just let my dental insurance people handle things for now and see what they can do for me.

thanks all

[TXFZ1]

There is a Houston legal referral service. I tried it once and was not happy with the choices given to me.

http://www.hlrs.org/

David