Can a dentist be held responsible for negligent referral?
Although referrals generally improve the quality of care patients receive, a patient is sometimes injured while under the care of the referral dentist. A negligent referral occurs when a patient is referred to a dentist who is known to be unqualified due to a lack of skill or judgment. In some cases, the lack of skill or judgment may be due to impairment such as drug abuse, alcoholism or systemic disease. In others, it may simply be due to general carelessness or apathy on the part of the clinician.
