No Win, No FeeTooth damage can be painful and embarrassing. Also, the cost of putting the damage right can be quite expensive too. However, you may be entitled to claim compensation to cover those costs and any suffering if your teeth were broken in an accident caused by somebody else’s negligence.
If you’ve suffered a broken tooth or teeth through no fault of your own, it may be possible that we could help you get compensated. By calling our advisors, you’ll receive a free initial consultation and advice about your options. If there’s a realistic chance you’ll be compensated for damage to your teeth, one of our personal injury solicitors could help you to claim on a No Win, No Fee basis. That means you won’t pay legal fees unless compensation is awarded.
Read on to find out more or contact us on 0800 652 1345 to discuss whether you could claim compensation for teeth broken in an accident right away.
Can I claim compensation for broken teeth in an accident?
If you’ve suffered broken teeth in an accident and you wish to make a personal injury claim, you’ll need to demonstrate that:
- The defendant owed you a duty of care; and
- Their negligence caused an accident; and
- A tooth/teeth were broken in that accident.
Legally, while you’re at work, on an organisation’s premises or even in a public place, there’s a high chance you’ll be owed a duty of care through one law or another. Don’t worry too much about this as your solicitor will consider the details of how your teeth were broken in an accident before accepting your case.
Broken teeth because of dental negligence
If your teeth were inadvertently broken by a dental practitioner, the criteria for claiming dental negligence are slightly different. Here, you’ll need to show that:
- Negligence: The treatment provided by a medical professional (a dentist for example), fell below the standard you could reasonably expect; and
- Causation: You sustained a broken tooth or teeth as a direct result of the negligence.
If you believe you should be compensated for any form of tooth damage, please contact us for a free review of your chances.
Common types of damage to teeth
Some examples of the types of tooth damage that could lead to a personal injury claim include:
- Avulsions – where the tooth is knocked out.
- Subluxations – where the tooth is loosened.
- Intrusions – where the tooth is jammed into the socket.
- Chipped teeth.
- Fractured teeth, roots and enamel.
- Jaw injuries.
- Tooth socket wall fractures.
- Lacerations of the gums.
Depending on the nature of your accident, you could go on to sustain multiple broken teeth. The pain, suffering and remedial treatment that broken teeth can lead to would need to be factored into any subsequent compensation claim.
Common accidents causing broken teeth
Effectively, any accident caused by someone else where teeth have been broken could result in compensation being paid. We haven’t listed every single scenario here but some of the more common accidents that lead to broken teeth include:
- Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs). Any trauma to the head following a car crash can lead to teeth being knocked out, fractured or loosened. Motorcyclists, bicycle couriers and pedestrians are particularly at risk in these scenarios.
- Slips, trips and falls. You could claim if you suffered broken teeth during a fall caused by somebody else’s negligence. For example, compensation might be awarded if you tripped on a raised carpet in a hotel accident and broke a tooth as a result.
- Workplace accidents. Employers have a duty of care to try and keep you safe at work. That means they need to carry out regular risk assessments and maintain equipment properly. You could therefore claim if you broke a tooth in an accident at work after debris flew out of a faulty machine and struck you in the mouth.
- Physical assaults. Being punched in the mouth or struck with a weapon can lead to broken teeth or teeth being knocked out. While assaults won’t lead to a personal injury claim, you could be entitled to make a criminal injury claim.
Whatever type of accident you’ve been involved in, if it happened because somebody else was negligent and resulted in broken teeth, we could help you to begin a personal injury claim. Please get in touch to find out more.
How much compensation for broken teeth can I claim?
If you make a personal injury claim for teeth broken in an accident, any compensation paid will be based on general damages (pain and suffering etc) and special damages (any financial impact). As a result, if your broken teeth claim is won, you could be compensated for:
- Physical pain and suffering resulting from teeth broken in an accident.
- Psychiatric damage i.e. depression, embarrassment and anxiety.
- Lost earnings.
- Loss of enjoyment of your normal hobbies (going out for meals, socialising etc).
- Remedial dental treatment costs.
- The cost of a carer in some cases.
- Travel expenses (fuel, parking fees, public transport costs) linked to dental appointments.
- Future loss of earnings for any long-term impact on your income caused by your broken tooth/teeth.
If you work with a personal injury lawyer from our panel, they’ll ensure your claim is reviewed carefully before it is filed. They’ll do so to try and make sure that you are compensated fully for the suffering caused by the damage to your teeth.
Broken teeth compensation amounts
While the following guideline compensation amounts for teeth damage have no legal standing, they are well respected by insurers and lawyers and form a basis for calculating compensation payouts for broken teeth:
- £1,090 – £1,710 compensation for a broken back tooth.
- £2,200 – £3,950 compensation for a seriously broken front tooth.
- £4,350 – £7,630 compensation for two seriously broken front teeth.
- £8,730 – £11,410 compensation for several seriously broken front teeth.
- Up to £38,130 compensation where broken teeth have caused significant, chronic pain.
How does my solicitor know how serious my broken teeth are?
To ascertain the full extent of your injuries, your solicitor will book an independent medical assessment. This will usually take place with a local dental expert. They’ll examine your broken teeth, review your dental records and discuss the impact of your injuries with you.
After the meeting, a report will be prepared to explain how you’ve suffered and if you’ll have any dental problems in the future. This report will form the basis of any compensation claim that you make.
Providing proof you sustained broken teeth in an accident
Whether you claim against an individual, a business, an NHS dentist or a private dental practice, your case will usually be managed by an insurance company. They want to pay as little compensation for broken teeth as possible. As such, in most cases, you’ll need to convince them that their client caused your teeth damage and show how you’ve been affected. The types of proof that could help you to do this include:
- Dental records. As part of your claim, your solicitor will request copies of your historical dental records as well as any relating to any remedial treatment you needed. X-rays and hospital records may also be requested.
- Before and after photographs. It’s a good idea to supply photos that show your teeth before your accident and after they were damaged.
- CCTV footage. If the accident was caught by CCTV or dashcam cameras, you should ask the owner for a copy as quickly as possible.
- Accident report forms. Where the accident occurred on business premises, it should’ve been recorded in an accident report book. A copy of the form relating to your accident can be used to show where and when your teeth were broken.
- Witness statements. If anybody else was present when your teeth were broken, your solicitor may contact them at a later date to ask them for a statement to confirm what happened.
- Financial records. As explained earlier, you could claim back any costs linked to your broken tooth or teeth. As such, it’s good practice to keep any receipts, wage slips or bank statements necessary to support your claim.
If you do decide to make a teeth injury claim, please get in touch and let us know about any proof you’ve already secured as it could improve your chances of being compensated.
Time limits for teeth damage claims
Whether you’re making a personal injury claim or a dental negligence claim, there is a 3-year time limit that applies. The starting point for your limitation period will be either:
- The date your teeth were broken during an accident or incident; or
- The date a broken tooth was diagnosed and linked to a previous incident.
We would always suggest that you begin the claims process as soon as you can as it will usually make it easier to secure the proof needed to substantiate your claim.
In some cases where liability for your teeth damage has been accepted, you could receive interim payments before the claim is settled. This may help if you need to cover the cost of private dental treatment to fix the damage or if you’re struggling because you can’t work as a result of your injuries.
Claiming for a child who has suffered broken teeth in an accident
If your child has had teeth broken in an accident, the 3-year time limit doesn’t start until they are 18 years old. As a result, a litigation friend can seek compensation on their behalf at any point before then.
If you wish to represent your child, please speak to our team about the child injury claims process and becoming their litigation friend. Once approved, you’ll be able to deal with a solicitor and make decisions about the claim for your child.
Should the claim be successful, any settlement would need to be approved by a court and held in a trust fund until your child’s 18th birthday. However, the court can release funds before then if you explain how they’ll help your child.
No Win, No Fee claims
If you start the broken teeth claims process with us as our panel of solicitors provide a No Win, No Fee service for all accepted claims. That means no upfront legal fees and you won’t have to pay for your solicitor’s work if the claim fails. Once you’ve signed your No Win, No Fee agreement, your solicitor will act quickly to:
- Review your claim in detail.
- Secure proof and medical records.
- File the claim with the defendant.
- Liaise with the defendant’s insurers on your behalf.
- Fight your corner to try and secure the maximum compensation possible.
If they go on to win your claim and secure compensation, they’ll deduct a success fee from the settlement amount. This is used to cover their costs and is capped at 25% of any compensation by law. The fee you will pay will be listed in your contract so it’ll be clear from the start.
To see if you could start a No Win, No Fee teeth damage claim, please contact us today.
Start a compensation claim for broken teeth today
Our team is ready on 0800 652 1345 if you’d like to start a claim for broken teeth compensation. Your advisor will review your case with you, consider any proof you have and explain your options for free.
If you’d like to go ahead with a claim, your solicitor will act on a No Win, No Fee basis so the only time you’ll need to pay for their work is if you receive compensation.
To find out more about claiming compensation for teeth broken in an accident, please call or get in touch via our free live chat service.
