Where's The Drill Bit?

No one likes going to the dentist much; this case points out one of the many reasons people are afraid of dentists. Imagine having dental surgery performed and finding that the dentist left a drill bit in your sinus cavity! Sounds like an open and shut dental malpractice case, doesn’t it?

In this case, a woman went to see her dentist in August of 2008 for some dental problems. Two weeks after her first appointment, she was slated for dental surgery to extract a tooth. The dentist used a burr to separate teeth to make the extraction easier; unfortunately, he wound up losing the burr in her right maxillary sinus. Oddly enough, he either didn’t notice this, or he chose to say nothing at all.

The woman began to have serious problems with the extraction; she was experiencing nosebleeds, sinus infections, pain and dizziness for almost a year. Each time she contacted the dentist’s office, she was told the pain she was experiencing was normal after that kind of dental surgery. Eventually she began to experience numbness on the right side of her face. She went to the hospital; they did a magnetic scan and bingo! The magnet caused the one inch steel drill bit to move inside her head. The hospital, of course, had no way of knowing and would never have suspected that she had a drill bit inside her head.

Despite some initial concerns as to the safety of removing the drill bit, one of the hospital surgeons was able to extract it. She is still recovering from the trauma and may have also been poisoned by the nickel in the bit. Her pending medical malpractice suit requests for undetermined compensation and a jury trial.

What a remarkable story and what a horrendous thing to have to live with for over a year. This unfortunate woman may be an ideal candidate for lawsuit funding. Her lawsuit cash advance would allow her to pay any outstanding medical bills, handle her medications, any further surgeries that may be required and deal with the daily costs of living: mortgage payments, tuition, food and other important expenses.

The strategy behind lawsuit funding is that it allows the plaintiff the time to wait for a just settlement, rather than have to settle early because he/she needs to pay important bills and expenses now. It is clearly something to consider if you find yourself considering an inadequate settlement amount because of serious financial need.