Girl on life support after dentist visit
Five-year-old Diamond Brownridge remained on life support late Tuesday, three days after a trip to the dentist's office, as her family has hired attorneys to begin shaping a legal case.
Diamond, of the Southwest Side, was taken Saturday to Little Angel Dental Clinic, 3915 W. 26th St., after she complained of a toothache. According to a news release from the family's lawyers, Diamond was given sedatives including nitrous oxide.
Diamond's mother was asked to sit in the office waiting room. When she returned to check on Diamond, she found her daughter had no pulse. Paramedics arrived and doctors tried to resuscitate Diamond, but she remained in critical condition and on life support Tuesday at Children's Memorial Hospital
Meanwhile, lawyers for Diamond and her mother, Ommettress Travis, filed a petition Tuesday in the Circuit Court of Cook County to obtain the child's dental records, medical records, names of all employees and other personnel in the office on Saturday, as well as the type of all anesthesia used on Diamond.
The family's lawyer, Tom Prindable, of Clifford Law Offices, said the petition was necessary to determine basic information and facts of the case. The files then have to be reviewed by a board certified expert in the field before a medical malpractice suit could be filed.
The dentist's office was ordered Tuesday to produce the information within 14 days. The order also preserves any remaining sedatives and equipment used to administer the anesthesia.
Representatives for Dr. Hicham Riba, who performed Saturday's procedure, released a statement Tuesday calling the event "tragic."
"We are cooperating fully with investigators," the statement said, "and at this time my office has voluntarily canceled all intravenous sedation procedures."
Prindable said that without the records and other information, it is difficult to determine what exactly contributed to Diamond's reaction. He said the possibility of over-sedation is just one scenario to consider, and that other factors could have contributed to the tragedy.
"It's (sedation) an assumption," he said. "The facts are that something went terribly wrong. If it had not been for some negligence, this should not have happened."
However, Prindable said that aggressively pursuing any legal action right now isn't the most important thing.
"Any responsible attorney doesn't like to do things so fast," he said. "The focus should be on that sad family."
Diamond, of the Southwest Side, was taken Saturday to Little Angel Dental Clinic, 3915 W. 26th St., after she complained of a toothache. According to a news release from the family's lawyers, Diamond was given sedatives including nitrous oxide.
Diamond's mother was asked to sit in the office waiting room. When she returned to check on Diamond, she found her daughter had no pulse. Paramedics arrived and doctors tried to resuscitate Diamond, but she remained in critical condition and on life support Tuesday at Children's Memorial Hospital
Meanwhile, lawyers for Diamond and her mother, Ommettress Travis, filed a petition Tuesday in the Circuit Court of Cook County to obtain the child's dental records, medical records, names of all employees and other personnel in the office on Saturday, as well as the type of all anesthesia used on Diamond.
The family's lawyer, Tom Prindable, of Clifford Law Offices, said the petition was necessary to determine basic information and facts of the case. The files then have to be reviewed by a board certified expert in the field before a medical malpractice suit could be filed.
The dentist's office was ordered Tuesday to produce the information within 14 days. The order also preserves any remaining sedatives and equipment used to administer the anesthesia.
Representatives for Dr. Hicham Riba, who performed Saturday's procedure, released a statement Tuesday calling the event "tragic."
"We are cooperating fully with investigators," the statement said, "and at this time my office has voluntarily canceled all intravenous sedation procedures."
Prindable said that without the records and other information, it is difficult to determine what exactly contributed to Diamond's reaction. He said the possibility of over-sedation is just one scenario to consider, and that other factors could have contributed to the tragedy.
"It's (sedation) an assumption," he said. "The facts are that something went terribly wrong. If it had not been for some negligence, this should not have happened."
However, Prindable said that aggressively pursuing any legal action right now isn't the most important thing.
"Any responsible attorney doesn't like to do things so fast," he said. "The focus should be on that sad family."
Tagged: Little Village, Little Village
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