A 61 year old woman from Augusta, Maine is suing her dentist, Dr. Jan Kippax, and Androscoggin Oral and Maxillovacial Surgeons, in a case of dental malpractice.  Nancy Jacob claims that she now suffers from painful permanent nerve damage after Dr. Kippax botched a biopsy.

In December 2002, Jacob sought treatment from Kippax when she began experiencing pain in the area where she had had a previous tooth extraction.  Kippax prescribed antibiotics and advised her to return for a follow up in 10 days after X-rays revealed nothing of concern.

When she returned to see Dr. Kippax, Jacob was experiencing more pain and some numbness so a biopsy was recommended.  It is during this procedure that Jacob claims Kippax was negligent, violating the standard of care she was entitled to.

Jacob’s medical attorney described what happened, stating that Kippax “went far beyond the area of potential infection and injured the nerve that runs from the cheek-to-nose area”.

During the trial, which began this week, a series of photographs were shown, ranging from Jacob’s childhood to present, profiling how her smile had gone from broad to almost nothing.  The lawsuit claims that the nerve damage caused by the botched biopsy procedure has left Jacob unable to smile without pain.
Ms. Jacob and her attorney are asking for an undisclosed amount for medical bills as well as pain, suffering, and permanent impairment.  The trial is expected to last about a week.

Source:  kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com

Tags: Dental malpractice, doctor negligence, medical attorney, medical malpractice lawsuit

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 29th, 2009 at 5:09 pm and is filed under Medical Malpractice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.