I purchased a salad to go at a big international chain Mexican restaurant this evening. When I got home & was eating it, I bit down onto a pea sized rock & broke off a piece of my molar.
I called the restaurant & spoke with the manager telling her what happened & what I ate (so she could pull those items to check them out and make sure this wouldn’t happen to anyone else).
She asked me a few more questions on how to contact me & told me that someone would call me tomorrow. I had a dental check-up about 2-3 months ago & everything was fine, so it’s not like I had any sort of pre-existing dental problems.
I kind of feel like I’m jumping the gun by checking out an injury settlement site, but I’ve never had to deal with something like this before. I wanted some advice on what I should expect from them in way of compensation & how I should proceed if I don’t agree with what’s being offered.
I feel I should also mention that I’m TERRIFIED whenever I have to go to the dentist. I had to get a prescription for Valium & take a couple of pills before each appointment. Any advice or info you could offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Disclaimer: Our response is not formal legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. It is generic legal information based on the very limited information provided. Do not rely upon the information in our response, or anywhere else on this site, when deciding the proper course of a legal matter. Always get a personalized case review from a local attorney.
Answer
Dear Billy,
There is nothing wrong with checking out a website like Injury-Settlement-Guide.com at any time. Knowledge is strength. Knowing what your legal options consist of, and the responsibilities of the restaurant are important.
No matter how much nitrous oxide or calming music you might find in a dentist’s office, the anxiety of the drilling and the injections is enough to make even the toughest hombres’ knees buckle.
Go to your dentist. Have her take a look at the damage. She will tell you what it will cost to repair the damage to your molar.
With that information in hand, calculate the time you’ve already taken off from work to visit the dentist, and the time you may have to take of in the near future. Add to that amount the number of days, if any, you may have to stay home to recover and any wages you lost as a result.
Add to that total a reasonable amount for what you believe would fairly compensate you for pain and suffering, including the dread you’ve endured so far, and that which you may into the near future.
With that information in hand you will be in a good position to speak with the restaurant’s insurance company representative, commonly called a Claims Adjuster.
You want her to reimburse you for all of the above. A good rule of thumb for settling these personal injury cases is to multiple your dental bills by about three. Doing so takes into account your lost wages and pain and suffering.
So if for instance your dental bills were $1,000 dollars, your initial settlement demand should be $3,000 dollars. From there you will be in a strong negotiating position.
Learn more here: Foreign Object in Food Claims
The above is general information. Laws change frequently, and across jurisdictions. You should get a personalized case evaluation from a licensed attorney.
Find a local attorney to give you a free case review here, or call 888-972-0892.
We wish you the best with your claim,
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