Dental Malpractice Attorney

Dental Malpractice Attorney Guide

If you are looking at this site, you feel that you need a dental malpractice attorney. The question really is "How do you find a dental malpractice attorney?" or more to the point "How do you find the 'right' dental malpractice attorney?"

How do you find a dental malpractice attorney?

The problem is that when you look at Google or any other search engine, you will notice that not many lawyers specialize in dental malpractice. In fact, you are lucky to find more than one or two per state. There are two reasons why so few attorneys advertise for these type of cases. First, there are not a lot of these cases. Second, malpractice cases are expensive to pursue.

The solution is that you need to look for a medical malpractice attorney in your area. Here's why:

- Dental malpractice is medical malpractice. Dentist are doctors.

- The legal standard used to determine if there has been dental malpractice is the same legal standard used to determine if there has been medical malpractice.

- When prosecuting a dental/medical malpractice case, there are some rules of evidence that are unique from other types of cases. Non-lawyers will never know about these different rules, but these rules of evidence can make a big difference in whether or not you win your case. Attorneys who do not handle medical malpractice cases may be unfamiliar with the unique rules and that could hurt your case.

- Since dental malpractice cases are medical malpractice cases, they require dental/medical experts and cost a lot of money to pursue. A medical malpractice attorney expects to and is willing to spend the money is prosecuting your dental malpractice case.

- Finally, but not least important, a medical malpractice attorney is accustom to explaining complicated medical terms and procedures in simple terms so that a jury can understand why there was malpractice.

How do you find the "right" dental malpractice attorney?

The simple truth is that you shop around. Talk with several medical malpractice attorneys. You may find that you feel more comfortable with and/or trust one attorney more that you do with another attorney. When you talk with a medical/dental malpractice attorney, consider the following:

- Does the attorney give a free initial consultation? Most medical/dental malpractice attorneys will talk with you to determine if you have a case without charging you a consultation fee.

- Does the lawyer work on a contingency fee basis? Most medical/dental malpractice cases are handled by lawyers on a contingency fee basis. This means that the lawyer is paid a percentage of the amount of money that the lawyer recovers for you. If the lawyer does not recover any money damages for you, then the lawyer does not get paid. Beware of any attorney who wants you to pay him/her up front to handle your dental malpractice case.

- What experience does the attorney have in handling medical malpractice cases? Because dental malpractice is medical malpractice, it is not as important that a lawyer have experience in handling dental malpractice cases as it is that the lawyer have experience in handling medical malpractice cases.

- Does the attorney actually try cases in court? This may sound like a stupid or needless question or concern, but there are attorneys who sign up clients with the intent of settling the case and never going to court. Lawyers, who never go to court and try cases, receive less for their clients than their clients' cases are worth.

- Last, will the attorney that you are talking to actually handle your case or will the attorney associate another attorney to handle your case? Again, this may seem like a silly question or concern. However, there are attorneys who advertise for certain types of cases with the intent of giving the case to another attorney to do the actual work while the first attorney does nothing and gets part of the attorney fee. It is better for you to deal with the attorney who will actually handle your dental malpractice case.

This is basic general information only. If you have any questions whatsoever, talk with a lawyer licensed in your state.

To learn more about a dental malpractice attorney, see Dental Malpractice Attorney homepage and articles. Be sure to check out our articles on what compensation that you may be entitled to for dental malpractice, finding out just what is dental malpractice, and why, in most cases, you need a dental malpractice attorney.

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