Dental Malpractice: Learning the Rules of the Road
As a general dentist, statistics indicate that you will be involved in the litigation process during some point in your career. This article’s purpose is to provide a brief overview of the litigation process, to discuss documentation as a risk management tool to prevent litigation and to address other issues that seem to arise in the field of dental malpractice. Overall, the documentation process can be used as a defensive tool once litigation ensues. Additionally, in certain instances, the litigation process can be completely avoided where there is sufficient documentation and good clinical care. Dental Malpractice: Learning the Rules of the Road There are two types of law that govern malpractice cases. The first is the common law, which is the law generated through legal precedent. In addition, each state has specific statutory regulations that govern dental malpractice cases. The statutes specifically address filing requirements, discovery issues and damages issues. Under the co