Dental Malpractice: Why You Must Know the California Statute of Limitations

Blog submitted by Dane Levy, Attorney of Dentalmal.com, a provider of legal services for those injured by dental malpractice in California.

There is one crucial mistake dental malpractice victims should avoid if they plan to sue their dentist in California. Dental malpractice law has a fairly strict statute of limitations that patients must not exceed if they wish to bring forth a successful dental malpractice case. In most cases, patients who do not comply with the statute of limitations will lose their chance to seek compensation for their damages indefinitely.

It is important to know California’s statute of limitations because not all states have the same laws regarding dental malpractice. For example, in Utah, the statute of limitations for dental malpractice is two years from the date you discovered your injuries. In contrast, California’s state laws specify that you have to file a malpractice lawsuit three years after the date of your injury or one year after a reasonable patient should have discovered their injuries. Whichever of these conditions came first is the one that applies. The only exceptions to this rule are cases in which a health provider fraudulently concealed a patient’s injuries from them or if the case involves a foreign object that was accidentally left in a patient’s body.

If you need a California dental malpractice lawyer to help you navigate California’s malpractice laws contact Attorney Dane Levy at the Levy Law Firm. He has a dental school education and decades of experience winning high-value dental malpractice lawsuits. You can reach him at (562) 270-7810.