Everyone knows that damage to your teeth can be traumatic, whether it’s due to a chipped tooth or an untreated cavity.
Tooth damage is bad enough, and in many cases, it requires restorative dental care to fix the problem. The trauma can be even more devastating when the damage to your teeth has come from a personal injury accident that happened through no fault of your own.
If you sustained damage to your teeth through no fault of your own, you may be able to file for damages in a personal injury claim. Before that, however, you can read on below for a little of what you need to know about including dental damages in your personal injury claim.
When can you file?
The best way to determine if you indeed can file for damages to your teeth is by contacting a reputable law firm like Davis Kelin Law Firm for a consultation.It’s important to note at this point that you can only file for dental damages when your teeth were damaged because of someone else.
If you damaged your teeth yourself, or if no one else was at fault, then you have little options for filing a claim. Even so, there are a few common reasons why you might be able to file for dental damages with your personal injury claim.
In road accidents
If your teeth were damaged in a road accident, where another driver was at fault, then it is possible for you to file a dental damages personal injury claim. However, you must not be at fault for the accident.
Slips, trips, and falls
It is possible to file for dental damages if you slipped, tripped, or fell on roadways, sidewalks, or other areas that were in poor condition. Since local authorities are responsible for keeping public areas accident free and well maintained, you could be entitled to compensation if you fall due to their negligence and your teeth are damaged.
There are different levels of compensation for dental damage, so it’s best to discuss numbers with your personal injury attorney at your consultation.
Dental or medical negligence
Many people who suffer from tooth damage don’t realize that you can file a personal injury lawsuit for dental or medical negligence as well. If your dental damage resulted directly from something your dentist did, then you are entitled to compensation and damages.
You’re in an accident at work
No matter who you work for, all employers are responsible for ensuring their employees have safe working conditions. If you were injured due to your employer being irresponsible with work safety, then you can file a dental damage personal injury claim.
In order to file and win a dental damage personal injury case, you need to prove two different things. The first one is that the accident was the result of someone else’s negligence. The second point to prove is that the damage to your teeth resulted from that specific accident.
You can’t file a suit based on tooth damage you received gradually over time, for that was likely caused by something else. In other words, you can’t sue for damages for tooth decay if it was a car accident that resulted in chipped teeth. You can only sue for damages for chipped teeth, and you have to prove that specifically.
Remember, the burden of proof is on you to prove your damages came from the accident or negligence you are claiming. The best way to prove that is by having a reputable personal injury attorney in your corner.
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