We have over 40 years experience of representing clients in almost all areas of personal injury litigation. Our focus is in representing people who have been injured by a Dentist. In 2011 our office settled a dental malpractice case, in the amount of $1,350,000.00, for a young woman who was injured by a hospital's misdiagnosis of a cyst in her jaw. In January of 2011 Albert W Chianese tried a case to a jury verdict in the amount of $310,000.00 for a young woman who was not informed of treatment options by her orthodontist. In 2010 our office attained a jury verdict in the amount of $275,000.00 for a Bronx man who sustained nerve damage as the result of an injection performed by a general dentist. In 2009, Albert W. Chianese attained a verdict of $3,900,000.00 for a woman who was injured by a dentist in the Bronx during root canal treatment. This is the highest recorded verdict awarded for a dental malpractice action in the State of New York. Also in 2009 Mr. Chianese tried a case to a jury verdict which resulted in an award of $490,000.00 to a woman who received poor implant and restorative work by a dentist. Please see our practice areas and case results page for a more specific description of our experience. We strive to provide personal attention to all of our clients. Our staff is highly trained and highly experienced in the areas of the law in which we practice.
DENTAL MALPRACTICE
Our firm has a particular emphasis in representing patients in dental malpractice matters. Dental malpractice can include, among other things: improper root canal treatment; improper removal of teeth; a failure to or delay in diagnosing disease; improper placement of dental implants; improperly performed surgery; the improper administration of anesthetic; or the improper fabrication of dental bridges and crowns. Damages that may result from dental malpractice include lingual nerve or inferior alveolar nerve damage; trigeminal neuralgia; paraesthesia; loss of teeth; the need to replace the crown or bridgework that a dentist had placed. If you have sustained damage as the result of the mistreatment of a dentist you may be entitled to compensatory damages to correct your problems, as well as for your pain and suffering. There are strict time limitations on dental malpractice cases, so if you think you have been a victim of dental malpractice, please contact us today for a free consultation by email, info@dentalmallawyer.com or by phone (516) 599-2020.
To confirm that your dentist is licensed to practice and has not had his or her license suspended go to the office of Professional Discipline website http://www.op.nysed.gov/opsearches.htm
AUTO ACCIDENTS
If you have been injured in an automobile accident and you have suffered a Serious Injury, you may be entitled to sue for your Personal Injuries, Pain and Suffering and other economic losses. Soreness and pain often are signs of an underlying serious injury and can only be detected by medical testing a month or more after the accident. It is very important that you seek immediate medical attention, make sure that the biling goes through the no-fault portion of your automobile insurance. Insurance companies often offer an injured party a minimal settlement shortly after an accident to avoid paying an appropriate amount once the true injuries have been determined. Do not accept any settlement for personal injuries or sign a release prior seeking the advice of an attorney.
When you seek medical attention be sure to inform the doctors that your injuries are related to an automobile accident to ensure that your medical bills are covered by the appropriate No-Fault Insurance coverage, failing to do so may result in a medical lien against money that may be awarded to you.
CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENTS
If you are a construction worker, heavy equipment operator, sub-contractor or truck driver and have fallen from a height off a ladder or scaffolding or have been injured in any way you may be entitled to compensation. There are many regulations and statutes that must be followed while on a construction site, if the owner of the site or the general contractor violates any of those you may be entitled to compensation. Whether you are a foreman, journeyman or laborer, union or non-union, you have important rights that we can protect so that you and your family can get through the difficult time that you are out of work. The time to bring a claim against any government agency is very short, if you have been inured you should contact our office as soon as possible to discuss your claim.
NON-TRADITIONAL FAMILIES
Roughly 10% of the 60 million "coupled" households in America are unmarried. This figure from the 2000 census reflects the continually evolving attitude toward the definition of "family". Of those unmarried families, 10% identify themselves as same-sex families. In New York City, there are over 25,000 same-sex households and about 27% of those families have children. Unfortunately, the current law does not adequately address the needs of these families; particularly vulnerable are their children.
We offer these families a sense of protection and security through the drafting of specifically worded legal documentation. While we cannot address every issue presented by the absence of federal or state laws, we offer our clients a wide range of protective documentation. Our Will Package addresses many of the basic needs of the nontraditional family. From hospital visitation and health care proxy designation to powers of attorney and the naming of a guardian, our Will Package provides the security that unmarried families, particularly those with children, need on a daily basis.
We welcome referrals from the bar in dental malpractice matters. In addition to personal injury litigation, we also represent clients in the general practice of law including the areas of Non-Traditional Family and Estate Matters, Real Estate, Matrimonial, Wills and Estates, Criminal Matters and others.
Please feel free to contact us with any legal questions we may help you with.
For a free consultation with one of our attorneys call (516) 599-2020 or (212)953-6447
$3903500.00 - verdict for a 35 year old female who treated with a general dentist in the Bronx for a root canal on an upper molar. The dentist caused the plaintiff to sustain trigeminal neuralgia. She suffered severe piercing debilitating pain that radiated from the root canalled tooth to her right ear, which followed the pathway of the nerve. She underwent gamma knife surgery of the brain, which provided her temporary relief, though she continued under heavy medication to date to try and dull or control the pain. This is the largest reported verdict for a dental malpractice case in New York State. Bronx County. Dental Malpractice
$2550000.00 - settlement for a union carpenter who fell from scaffolding causing a crush injury to the right foot requiring surgery to relieve compartment syndrome. As a result of the injury the plaintiff sustained Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. New York County. Construction Accident
$1400000.00 - settlement for a Suffolk man who was injured when the delivery truck he was driving was struck by a vehicle that ran a red light. As a result of the accident the plaintiff severely injured his back requiring surgical repair. The plaintiff did not return to work after the accident. Suffolk County. Automobile Accident
$1350000.00 - settlement against a hospital that misdiagnosed a cyst in a young woman's jaw, which led to improper follow up and treatment by an oral surgeon. Years later the cyst reoccurred in the same area and required removal of three quarters of her jaw. Subsequent to the removal of her jaw a graft from her fibula was taken and attached to a titanium plate that was used to replace her jaw. A skin graft from her hip was taken to replace the gum tissue in that portion of her mouth. Implants, restorations and further bone grafts will be required to replace the teeth in that area. The expert for the defendant alleged that had the pathologist properly read the slide the treatment that was performed years later would have been required at that time.
$1227007.00 - verdict for an electrician who fell 20 feet from a ladder and suffered a fracture of his right calcaneus, or heel. The plaintiff required surgical repair where a plate and nine screws were implanted. Kings County. Construction Accident
$900000.00 - settlement for a 46 year old man who underwent gallbladder surgery during which his bowel was perforated by the surgeon. The hospital and doctors failed to recognize the signs of peritonitis. A few days after the surgery his organs shut down and he was declared clinically dead. The plaintiff was required to undergo subsequent surgical repair of the bowel and removal of the infection. Nassau County. Medical Malpractice
$490000.00 - verdict for a 58 year old Queens woman against a dentist who had inserted upper and lower bridges that were ill fitting and had open margins requiring the re-treatment by a subsequent provider. The Jury awarded the plaintiff $450,000.00 for pain and suffering and $40,000.00 for future dental expenses. This verdict was affirmed on appeal. Queens County. Dental Malpractice
$350000.00 - Thomas Reilly of our office settled a case on behalf of a 47 year old Bronx woman who was caused severe root damage to her teeth by her orthodontist. The plaintiff treated with the orthodontist for a number of years. As a result of the treatment the roots of her upper and lower front teeth sustained severe resorption. At the time of the settlement the plaintiff had not lost any teeth. Two years prior to the settlement her oral surgeon has suggested extraction of 10 teeth and replacing them with implants and restorations. The defendant failed to take x-rays to determine if root resorption was occurring during the treatment. The defendant claimed that he root resorption was present prior to the treatment he performed. This matter was settled in October of 2011
$310000.00 - On January 20, 2011 Manhattan Jury awarded an 18 year old woman $310,000.00 for damages caused by an orthodontist. At the age of 10 the plaintiff presented to the defendant orthodontist for braces. At that time it was evident that her right cuspid and bi-cuspid were transposed, left cuspid and bi-cuspid were transposed and that her mouth had overcrowding. The doctor told the family that he would bring the teeth down in the transposed position and straighten her teeth with braces. He never discussed any alternative treatment. There existed other forms of treatment, one of which was to extract the four bi-cuspids to alleviate the overcrowding problem and the issue with the transposed teeth. The plaintiff will require restorative treatment to make her teeth appear normal. After a week long trial the Jury awarded the plaintiff $200,000.00 for future dental treatment, $15,000.00 for past pain and suffering and $95,000.00 for future pain and suffering. Albert W. Chianese was the trial attorney for the plaintiff.
$275000.00 - verdict for a 46 year old Bronx resident who sustainmed paraesthesia to the left side of his lip as a result of the improper administration of a mandibular block injection. Bronx County. Dental Malpractice
$250000.00 - Mediated settlement for a 60 year olf Nassau resident who was involved in an automobile accident. The accident occurred at an intersection that was controlled by a traffic light. The plaintiff claimed he had a green light while the defendant claimed the light was yellow when he entered the intersection. A third party witness claimed that the defendant had a yellow light. As a result of the accident the plaintiff sustained a fractured pelivs and missed six month from work. He required surgery to repair his pelvis which included the placement of internal hardware. Thomas Reilly handled this matter for our office.
$175000.00 - Settlement prior to the deposition of the defendant for a 39 year old woman who sustained left sided inferior alveolar nerve damage as the result of a tooth extraction. The plaintiff had a rear molar extracted by a general dentist and due to the extreme force and trauma the inferior alveolar nerve was damaged causing paresthesia of the left lip, chin and gum area of the plaintiff’s mouth. Kings County. Dental Malpractice
$170000.00 - Mediated settlement, on July 21, 2011, for a Nassau County woman who as the result of an overfill of a root canal suffered an inferior alveolar nerve injury on the left side of her face. As a result she sustained numbness and hypersensativity in the left side of the lower lip and chin area of her face. The case was settled a mediation prior to depositions. Thomas Reilly of our office handled this matter.
$125000.00 - On March 22, 2011 a Nassau Jury awarded a 59 year old woman $125,000.00 verdict for injuries she sustained as the result of Dental Malpractice. The plaintiff was a patient of the defendant's office for over twenty years. At trial the plaintiff claimed that the bridgework, crowns and implant restorations that the defendant placed were beneath the standard of care in the field of dentistry. It was claimed that the bridges had open margins that allowed bacteria to enter under the restorations. As a result the plaintiff was required to have all of the dental work replaced and lost three teeth. After five hours of deliberation the Jury awarded the plaintiff $125,000.00. Albert W. Chianese was the trial attorney for the plaintiff.
* Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
