Los Angeles Dental Malpractice Lawyer

Dental malpractice lawyers holding negligent providers accountable throughout Los Angeles.

If a dentist, oral surgeon, or orthodontist in Los Angeles caused you harm through careless or substandard treatment, you may have a malpractice claim. Dental errors cause nerve damage, chronic pain, infections, disfigurement, and in some cases permanent loss of function that affects eating, speaking, and daily life.

These cases carry a shorter filing deadline and are subject to damage caps that make early legal involvement a priority. Our founding attorney has been litigating injury cases since 1991. As your Los Angeles, CA dental malpractice lawyer, Cohen Injury Law Group understands how to build these cases within California’s procedural framework. Reach out to schedule a case review.

Dental Malpractice Lawyer Los Angeles, CA

A dental malpractice lawyer represents patients injured by a dentist, oral surgeon, orthodontist, or other dental professional whose treatment fell below the accepted standard of care. These cases require testimony from qualified dental professionals who practice in the same field as the defendant, detailed record analysis, and evidence connecting the provider’s error to the patient’s injury. 

Los Angeles has thousands of dental practices, oral surgery centers, and orthodontic offices serving communities across the city. The volume of procedures performed means errors happen regularly, and patients who suffer harm deserve attorneys who understand both the medical and legal dimensions of these claims. A dental malpractice attorney in Los Angeles knows what evidence is needed to prove the provider fell below the standard of care and how to present that case in a way that overcomes the deference juries sometimes give to medical professionals.

Types of Dental Malpractice Cases We Handle in Los Angeles

Dental malpractice takes many forms, and the type of error shapes the evidence needed and the damages available. We handle dental malpractice cases throughout Los Angeles involving the following.

• Nerve damage. Inferior alveolar nerve and lingual nerve injuries from extractions, implant placement, or improperly administered injections cause numbness, tingling, chronic pain, and loss of taste. When the damage is permanent, the patient faces a lifetime of diminished oral function and sensation.
• Extraction errors. Pulling the wrong tooth, fracturing the jaw during extraction, and leaving root fragments behind cause additional pain, infection, and the need for corrective procedures that the patient should never have had to undergo.
• Implant failures. Implants placed at the wrong angle, at incorrect depth, or without adequate bone support fail prematurely and can damage surrounding teeth, nerves, and sinus cavities. Failed implants often require removal and replacement at significant additional cost.
• Root canal errors. Perforated roots, missed canals, and broken instruments left inside the tooth lead to persistent pain, reinfection, and eventual tooth loss.
• Failure to diagnose oral cancer. A dentist who ignores suspicious lesions or fails to refer a patient for biopsy delays treatment and allows the disease to advance. Early-stage oral cancer is far more treatable than later stages, and the delay itself is what causes the additional harm.
• Anesthesia injuries. Dosing mistakes, failure to review patient history, and inadequate sedation monitoring cause brain injuries from oxygen deprivation, cardiac events, and death.
• Infections from unsanitary conditions. Failure to sterilize instruments and inadequate infection control expose patients to bacterial infections that can spread and require hospitalization.
• Orthodontic injuries. Excessive force, improper bracket placement, and failure to monitor progress cause root resorption, tooth loss, and temporomandibular joint damage.

Why Choose Cohen Injury Law Group as My Dental Malpractice Lawyer in Los Angeles, CA?

Resources to Challenge Dental Providers

Dental malpractice cases are harder to win than most injury claims because the defendant is a licensed professional with malpractice insurance and legal representation ready to defend the treatment. Proving the standard of care was breached requires testimony from qualified dental professionals, detailed record analysis, and the ability to present technical evidence clearly. Cohen Injury Law Group invests the time and resources these cases demand.

Wayne R. Cohen, founding partner, has practiced personal injury law since 1991 and has never represented a defendant. He is a cum laude graduate of Miami Law School and the University of Michigan, lectures at GW Law School, and has been cited in the LA Times, Fortune, and the ABA Journal. Nicholas E. Cohen graduated from USC and Loyola Law School and directs case operations as Managing Partner.

Wayne Cohen has recovered millions of dollars for injured clients. Every dental malpractice case we accept is handled on contingency with no fees unless we win.

What Is Important to Understand About a Dental Malpractice Case?

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Dental Malpractice Cases

Dental malpractice claims compensate the patient for every loss the provider’s negligence caused, subject to California’s damage cap on non-economic losses. Because that cap limits what the patient can recover for pain and suffering, building the strongest possible economic case is a priority from the start.

Economic damages include corrective dental procedures, oral surgery, hospitalization, medications, and future treatment needed to address the injury. Lost wages from missed work during recovery are recoverable. Cases involving surgical errors that cause permanent injury carry the highest economic values because of ongoing care needs.

Non-economic damages cover pain and suffering, emotional distress, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life. California’s MICRA law caps non-economic damages in dental malpractice cases, making it important to build the strongest possible economic claim. When dental malpractice causes death, the family may file a wrongful death claim.

Liability requires proving the provider failed to meet the standard of care and that the failure caused the patient’s injury. This is established through testimony from a qualified dental professional in the same field.

What Are Important Aspects of a Dental Malpractice Case?

Dental malpractice claims carry procedural requirements that standard injury cases do not. Addressing them early separates viable claims from ones that stall.

• Standard of care testimony. Every dental malpractice case requires testimony from a qualified dental professional who practices in the same area as the defendant. The case cannot move forward without it.
• Shorter filing deadline. Dental malpractice claims must be filed within one year of the date the patient discovered the injury, with an outer limit of three years from the negligent treatment. This window is shorter than standard injury cases.
• MICRA caps. California caps non-economic damages in dental malpractice cases. Understanding how the cap affects your case shapes the settlement strategy from the start.
• Records preservation. Dental records, imaging, and treatment notes are the primary evidence. Adjusters for malpractice insurers scrutinize these records for any basis to argue the injury was pre-existing or unrelated to the defendant’s treatment.

What Is the Dental Malpractice Case Timeline?

Dental malpractice cases follow a defined sequence, though timelines vary based on injury severity and the insurer’s willingness to negotiate.

• Record collection and review. Your attorney obtains all dental records and imaging and has them reviewed by a qualified dental professional to determine whether malpractice occurred.
• Corrective treatment. The patient completes whatever corrective procedures are necessary. The cost of this treatment forms a significant part of the economic damages.
• Demand. A formal demand is sent to the provider’s insurer once treatment is complete and damages are documented.
• Negotiation. Settlement discussions follow. Malpractice insurers rarely offer fair value without sustained pressure and a credible threat that the case will go to trial if the offer does not improve.
• Litigation. If fair value is not offered, a lawsuit is filed. Trial may take 12 to 18 months after filing.

What Should You Bring to Your Dental Malpractice Consultation?

Collect what you can from the following:

• Dental records from the provider who caused the injury
• X-rays, CT scans, and panoramic imaging
• Records from any corrective treatment by a different provider
• Photos of the injury or affected area
• A written account of your symptoms and when they appeared

You do not need every record before reaching out. We can help obtain what is missing.

What Are Important California Legal Resources for Dental Malpractice Cases?

Dental malpractice claims are governed by statutes that differ from standard injury cases. The following resources apply.

• Dental malpractice claims must be filed within one year of discovery or three years of injury under CCP Section 340.5.
• Civil Code Section 1714 establishes the negligence standard that applies to dental providers.
• Civil Code Section 3333.2 sets the MICRA cap on non-economic damages.
• Economic damages are measured under Civil Code Section 3333.
• The California Courts website covers civil filing procedures in Los Angeles County.

Reach Out to Cohen Injury Law Group to Schedule a Consultation

Dental providers who cause harm through negligent treatment should be held accountable. If you were injured by a dentist or oral surgeon in Los Angeles, CA, Cohen Injury Law Group takes these claims on contingency with no fees unless we recover. Contact us to discuss your case.