A former Texas dentist was recently convicted of causing serious bodily injury to a child by omission after a procedure left a child with irreversible brain damage, the Houston Chronicle reported Sept. 13.
Former dentist Bethaniel Jefferson was found to have been negligent while treating Nevaeh Hall in January 2016. During a dental procedure to treat a broken tooth, Nevaeh, who was 4 years old at the time of the procedure, began suffering from a seizure. Her oxygen levels dropped and more seizures followed, but it reportedly took Ms. Jefferson several hours to call for medical assistance.
The Texas Board of Dental Examiners revoked Ms. Jefferson's dental license in November 2016. A jury also awarded Nevaeh's family $95.5 million in September 2022. The Houston Chronicle reported that most of the funds could not be paid because Ms. Jefferson’s malpractice insurance did not cover the full amount.
Ms. Jefferson is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 14.