Six-Year Old Boy Dies at Dentist's Office in Richmond, VA

Last Tuesday, a six-year old went in for a routine dental procedure, but wasn't able to walk out.  That child was Jacobi Hill, a little boy in his first year of school who needed caps put on his teeth.  When his mother took him to Virginia Commonwealth University's Dentistry Offices to have his teeth fixed, they decided to place him under anesthesia.

This is where the shades of gray come in.  The little boy had been cleared by his pediatrician for this surgery the day before during a regular check-up.  Obviously, the parents of this little boy took the necessary precautions to insure that he would be safe during this visit.  So what went wrong?

Once Jacobi was in the chair, he was placed under anesthesia.  At this point, we cannot say that the anesthesia was too much, that the little boy's vitals were not being monitored properly, or even that the pediatrician is at fault for hastily clearing this child for the dental procedure.  But we can say that something went horribly awry at some point in the process.  As Virginia Commonwealth University conducts an investigation to determine what caused Jacobi's death, there are no answers available to the public.  To learn more about this story, click here.

Our hearts sincerely go out to Jacobi Hill's family and loved ones.  Such an unforeseen tragedy is something most of us cannot begin to comprehend, but all of his can take something away from it.  This story is a heartwrenching one, but it illuminates the fallibility of human work.  We must tread cautiously when caring for others, but we must also hold others accountable when they fail to do so.  If you know of a child injury or accident victim who needs help, we urge you to give our law offices a call.