North Carolina Lawyers Weekly
The widower of a woman who died after a routine dental procedure has confidentially settled a lawsuit against the dentist who performed the procedure for $1.9 million, his attorneys report.
Tom Comerford and Aindrea M. Pledger of Comerford, Chilson & Moser in Winston-Salem said the North Carolina woman, whose name was withheld pursuant to a confidentiality agreement, went to the dentist to have several teeth pulled, which would require her to undergo general anesthesia.
Comerford
On the day of her appointment, her vital signs were “alarming,” Pledger said, but the dentist didn’t postpone the procedure and administered anesthesia despite “obvious warning signs.” Her vital signs plummeted, Pledger said, and she went into cardiac arrest.
EMS was called to the dental office, and EMS workers found the woman unresponsive. She had difficulty breathing and had flatlined. EMS was able to regain her pulse and rushed her to a nearby hospital, but the 42-year-old woman never regained consciousness and died.
The woman’s husband obtained an affidavit from a “highly regarded expert that supported the case due to several breaches of the standard of care,” Pledger said.
Besides her husband, the woman is survived by three children, including a daughter who is severely autistic, Pledger said.
“The mother was the primary caregiver,” Pledger said. “The mother and daughter had a really special relationship, and it’s been really hard on the family.”
Pledger
Other details about the settlement, including the identities of the defendants and their counsel, were not available due to the confidentiality agreement.
Follow Bill Cresenzo on Twitter @bcresenzonclw
SETTLEMENT REPORT — WRONGFUL DEATH
Amount: $1,900,000
Injuries alleged: Death
Case name: Withheld
Court: Withheld
Date of settlement: July 2019
Attorney for plaintiff: Tom Comerford and Aindrea M. Pledger of Comerford, Chilson & Moser in Winston-Salem
Attorney for defendant: Withheld
