Facts

On Jan. 16, 2009, defendant dentist severed plaintiff Luve Sanghvi's right lingual nerve during the performance of a lower wisdom tooth extraction. Defendant perforated through plaintiff's lower right lingual plate of bone and into the soft gum tissue where the right lingual nerve is located. Damage to the soft gum tissue was confirmed by photographs and by a subsequent treating oral surgeon who finished defendant's botched extraction. The severed right lingual nerve was confirmed by a repair surgeon who performed micro-surgical repair to the several lingual nerve on April 15, 2009.

PLAINTIFF'S CONTENTIONS:
Plaintiff contended that defendant's uncontrolled instrumentation during the extraction procedure severed the lingual nerve.

Specials in Evidence

$41,648 $7,109

Injuries

Plaintiff, 29, suffered numbness to the anterior two-thirds of the right half of the tongue, the floor of the mouth on the right side, and the lingual gingival of the lower right side. Plaintiff also suffered loss of taste to the right anterior two-thirds of the tongue. The repair surgery resulted in approximately 50 percent of sensation to the affected half of plaintiff's tongue.

Result

The case settled for $187,500 in a mediation before Andrew Albert, Esq.