Paulson Coletti - Portland Oregon Law Firm » Dental Health

Do you have a bone to pick?

Mariko — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:35:45 +0000

It’s unfortunate when a prescription drug designed to help a medical condition has side efffects so severe they cause other serious medical conditions. Such is the case, allegedly, with Merck & Co.’s widely used drug for osteoporosis: Fosamax. Many claim Fosamax causes damage to the jaw (specifically, osteonecrosis of the jaw). In fact, Merck is currently embroiled in lawsuits that involve nearly 900 cases of osteonecrosis caused by Fosamax.

There’s already been some drama with the first case that has gone to trial. That trial involved a 71-year-old woman who took Fosamax from 1997 to 2006. The trial just ended in a mistrial because the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. Jurors supposedly did not get along (there were even rumors of chair throwing in the jury room). Well, there are plenty more trials around the bend for Merck.

The original post is titled Do you have a bone to pick? , and it came from Paulson Coletti - Portland Oregon Law Firm .

Grin and bear it

Mariko — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:23:01 +0000

File this under the “practically unbelievable” category. In 2006 a young woman in her 20s went to the Sexton Dental Clinic in Florence, South Carolina, a clinic established in the 1920s to serve the uninsured and underinsured. She was supposed to have 3 teeth removed, but instead the dentist took out all 16 of her upper teeth. That’s right, he removed all of her top teeth. The patient sued the clinic for dental malpractice and also claimed the clinic tried to cover up the mistake.

The patient won a verdict of $2 million, and now she can pay the $80,000 or so it will cost for reconstructive surgery. For more on the story, click here.

The original post is titled Grin and bear it , and it came from Paulson Coletti - Portland Oregon Law Firm .

Chew on this — the dangers of denture creams

Mariko — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:37:02 +0000

It’s always discouraging to learn that an everyday product can be harmful to your health. A number of lawsuits now indicate that long-term use of denture creams can cause serious medical problems, including the buildup of zinc in one’s system and neurological issues.

It took some time for doctors to recognize that neurological problems in their patients were caused by denture cream use. Those named in the lawsuits include GlaxoSmithKline PLC, maker of PoliGrip, and Procter & Gamble Co., maker of Fixodent. The companies claim their products passed safety standards and are not harmful to users. They also state that zinc is commonly used as an additive or supplement. Procter & Gamble says the amount of zinc a user of Fixodent ingests per day is the same amount found in about six ounces of beef.

Many law firms are looking for denture cream cases. If you are a long-term user of denture cream products and suspect they have harmed your health, you may want to seek the advice of medical personnel or an attorney.

The original post is titled Chew on this — the dangers of denture creams , and it came from Paulson Coletti - Portland Oregon Law Firm .

Fortress Insurance Finally Pays For Lingual Nerve Injury

Jane Paulson — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:49:11 +0000

From previous postings you may know our client won his jury trial against Willamette Dental for damage to his lingual nerve from a wisdom tooth extraction. The trial was in Portland, Oregon in June 2006. Willamette Dental was insured by Fortress Insurance and appealed the jury verdict. The case was argued before the Oregon Court of Appeals by Maureen Leonard for our client and we prevailed. The insurance company tried to get our client to settle for less than 1/3 the verdict and then less than 1/2 the verdict (not including the 9% interest that was running on the judgment). Insurance companies try to wear down clients. Fortunately, believing in the jury and the court system, our client stood up to the insurance company and didn’t blink. Last Thursday, July 31, 2008, over two years after the verdict, our client received a check from the insurance company for the full amount of the jury verdict plus interest.

Little guy: 1

Insurance company: 0

The original post is titled Fortress Insurance Finally Pays For Lingual Nerve Injury , and it came from Paulson Coletti - Portland Oregon Law Firm .

Dental care causing patient deaths?

Mariko — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 01:02:15 +0000

Who could imagine that dental care could be hazardous enough to cause death? Though uncommon, apparently there have been enough patient deaths resulting from dental care to prompt the state of Washington’s Health Secretary to ask the state’s dental board, known as the Washington Dental Quality Assurance Commission, to launch an investigation.

The Seattle P-I newspaper first published a story on July 15, 2008, that investigated three patient deaths. The article asserted that the dental board’s investigations of these deaths were inadequate.

The dental board took no legal action in any of the cases, and as a result, patients and consumers were sheltered from the information about the dentists involved; only cases in which the dental board initiates action or files charges are made public in Washington State.

A follow-up story by the Seattle P-I can be found here. Staying informed about actions filed against your dental care provider is not a bad idea. In the state of Oregon you can look up this information at the Oregon Board of Dentistry site, located here.

The original post is titled Dental care causing patient deaths? , and it came from Paulson Coletti - Portland Oregon Law Firm .