Woozy patient drove away, dentist settles wreck claim for $480K

Allowing a woozy patient to get behind the wheel has cost an insurer for a dental practice $480,000, according to Durham attorney William Mills.

Mills of Glenn, Mills, Fisher & Mahoney said the dentist in question gave the plaintiff anti-anxiety medication lorazepam, because he was nervous about having dental work done. But the dentist failed to tell the plaintiff that it would be dangerous for him to drive after the procedure, Mills said.

He said the plaintiff, whom he declined to name due to a confidentiality agreement, got behind the wheel of his truck, drove away from the dentist’s office and quickly lost consciousness before he crashed — his truck flipped and hit other vehicles.

The plaintiff, who has no memory of the incident, was flown to a major trauma center and hospitalized for nine days while being treated for severe lacerations and other injuries, according to Mills.

He said the plaintiff claimed $26,000 in lost wages and $54,000 in recoverable medical bills. The case settled shortly after Millls sent the insurance adjuster more than 2,000 pages of documents dealing with damages and liability.

The dentist in question no longer allows patients to drive away after receiving sedatives, according to Mills.

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SETTLEMENT REPORT

DENTAL MALPRACTICE

Amount: $480,000

Injuries alleged: Lost wages, medical bills

Case name: Confidential

Court: Settled pre-suit

Date of settlement: November 2016

Attorney for plaintiff: William Mills of Glenn, Mills, Fisher & Mahoney in Charlotte

Attorney for defendant: None