Dental Jaw Fracture Claims Solicitors in Manchester

As well as stopping serious complications setting in and increasing the chances of a full recovery, prompt medical attention will create an official record of your injury, with an x-ray likely to confirm the jaw has been broken.

You should then inform the dentist responsible for breaking your jaw during treatment that it has happened. You should do so in writing in order to create an official record of your complaint and their response, and a timeline of your treatment.  

You should write down your own account of what happened during the relevant dental treatment and the impact it has had on you. You should also keep records of any treatment required because of your broken jaw and any medication prescribed, such as painkillers.

You should contact TJL to tell them how your jaw was broken during dental treatment.

We’ll explain whether you are eligible to make a claim for compensation on the grounds of negligent treatment, and if you are, we’ll start the claims process on a no win no fee basis.

• A pain in your face or along your jaw which intensifies when you move it
• Numbness in the face, particularly around the lower lip
• A pain in your ear on the side of the jaw that has been fractured
• Bleeding from the mouth
• Your face becoming bruised and swollen
• Finding it difficult to chew or talk
• Difficulty opening and closing your mouth due to stiffness in the jaw
• The jaw shifting more to one side when you open your mouth
• Tenderness or pain in the jaw which becomes worse when you bite or chew
• Teeth which are damaged or become loose

The symptoms of a fractured jaw after dental treatment will vary depending upon the nature and severity of the fracture.

Some pain or discomfort is to be expected after most dental treatment, particularly extractions or implants, but pain which lasts for longer than a dentist advises may be a sign that something has gone wrong, such as a fractured jaw. If you experience any of these symptoms for longer than expected you should seek medical attention, as complications of a fractured jaw could include infection, heavy blood loss and obstructed breathing.

• You were owed a duty of care by your dentist
• Your dentist failed to meet this duty of care
• As a result of this failure, you suffered harm in the form of a fractured jaw. This harm was avoidable and unnecessary.

When you make a compensation claim with TJL we’ll take on the task of proving that your dentist was negligent so that you have the time and space to recover and come to terms with what has happened.

The more evidence you could bring to us when you first get in touch, the easier it will be to build a strong claim, but we’ll work to pull together everything needed to prove negligence, such as the following:

• Your dental records, including the condition of your teeth and jaw prior to the treatment, and the diagnosis and treatment plan the dentist put in place
• Your own personal statement explaining the treatment you received, the impact it had and the way in which your life has been affected since
• Statements from witnesses such as friends and family who can explain how you were impacted by the negligent dental treatment
• Photographs, videos or x-rays of the harm caused by the negligent treatment, such as bruising, bleeding, swelling or missing teeth
• A medical report written by an independent dental expert following an assessment of your fractured jaw
• Copies of any correspondence between you and your dentists since the negligent treatment took place
• Documentary evidence of the financial impact of the negligent treatment, such as wage slips, bank statements and receipts for direct expenses

• The dentist failed in their duty of care toward you as a patient, particularly when the treatment they provided is compared to the treatment delivered by other dentists in similar circumstances.
• The failure to deliver care up to a reasonable standard was the direct cause of your fractured jaw, and the physical and psychological harm caused by the fracture.

We understand how daunting the prospect of taking legal action can feel, and so we’ll guide and support you through each of these steps, beginning with a free consultation to ascertain whether you have the grounds to make a claim.

If you are eligible to claim for a jaw fractured through dental negligence we’ll start the process by taking a detailed statement from you. This statement will include a description of your dental treatment and how you think it went wrong and the impact the fractured jaw has had on you.

This impact will include the physical pain and distress caused and the psychological trauma of having your jaw fractured.

The next step will be a medical assessment by an independent dental expert, arranged by us. This will establish the nature and severity of the fracture, the prognosis for any future recovery and the treatment likely to be needed to put things right.

Once we have a medical report, witness statements, your own personal statement and your dental and medical records we will contact the other party and inform them that you intend to claim compensation for a jaw fractured through dental negligence. We specialise in dispute resolution and always work to settle claims as quickly as possible, without having to take the case to court.

The majority of cases are settled at this point, with liability being admitted by the other party. Although we aim to deal with claims quickly we never settle for anything less than the full compensation we think you’re entitled to.

Our experience of dental negligence claims of this kind means that we know exactly what you should be entitled to in the form of general damages, and also what you can claim as special damages. If the other party denies liability or fails to make a fair offer the claim will be settled in court, something which only happens in a small minority of cases.

There are exceptions to this 3 year rule:

• If you are under 18 when your jaw is fractured then the 3 year limit will run from your 18^th birthday to your 21^st
• If you lack the ‘mental capacity to make a compensation claim during the initial 3 years then the time limit will run from the date on which you regain capacity

Although the 3 year limit is in place we always recommend starting any jaw fracture dental negligence claim as soon as possible after the negligent treatment takes place. The memory of events and of how distressing they were  will still be clear in your mind, and the sooner you start the claim the sooner you’ll get any compensation you’re entitled to.