The $39 Million Small Smiles Dental Settlement Open to All Former Patients? Looks that way.

Looks like the $39 million dollar settlement will also be open to most any patient who received treatment at a Small Smiles Dental Center during its operating years by reading the story below.  Personally if my child had stepped foot inside the door of this place I would be contacting Dan Lain, ASAP to find out how to apply for my child’s compensation and certainly get my child on the list! (his contact info is at the bottom)


 
 
Insurers for troubled dental chain Small Smiles' to pay out $39 million in tentative settlement
May 7, 2015, 1:23pm CDT Updated May 7, 2015, 2:14pm CDT
Eleanor Kennedy
Nashville Business Journal

“…Former patients of a beleaguered Nashville-based dental company may soon receive their share of a nearly $40 million settlement.
… National Union Insurance Company, the insurer of Small Smiles Dental…reached a tentative agreement with the company…to pay out $39 million…
In a statement, James Moriarty, chairman of the trustee advisory committee for the Small Smiles…trust…said the settlement "…provide compensation for the children in the ongoing litigation and other victims who have not filed suit or hired an attorney."
“… The tentative settlement raises awareness of the need for all dentists who treat our most vulnerable children to allow parents to accompany their children, to avoid the routine use of physical restraint devices, to not over-treat children for profit, and to place the children’s best interests above their own financial interests. We must guard against dentists that mislead parents, intentionally over-treat under the guise of ‘protecting’ children, pull baby teeth that would otherwise soon fall out, intentionally place stainless steel caps on toddlers and perform unnecessary baby root canals."
Read the piece in its entirety at Nashville Business Journal

Dan LainLiquidating Trustee
CS DIP Liquidating TrustLain, Faulkner & Co.
400 N. St. Paul, Suite 600
Dallas, Texas 75201
(214) 720-7214
dlain@lainfaulkner.com

$39 Million Available to Small Smiles Dental Center Patients — Providing Approval by Court

It appears there has been an agreement reached between Small Smiles dental centers and the thousands of children injured due to malpractice, overtreatment, and down right abuse inflicted at those clinics.

In court documents filed this afternoon it states in the Settlement and Release Agreement (page 8, section xx) $39 million dollars will be “paid by or on behalf of the Insurers to the Liquidating Trust”. $39 million is an odd number…why not an even $40 million? 

There is a lot to digest but from what I can gather, so far, just about any child who ever received treatment at a Small Smiles dental center could be eligible for payment once approved by the bankruptcy court in Nashville, Tennessee.

I would assume for those who are represented by an attorney, that attorney should be contacted at once.  If a former patient is not currently represented I assume Dan B. Lain would be the go to guy. 

Dan B. Lain, Liquidating Trustee
CS DIP Liquidating Trust
Lain, Faulkner & Co.
400 N. St. Paul, Suite 600
Dallas, Texas 75201
(214) 720-7214
dlain@lainfaulkner.com

Doc 811-1 Small Smiles Dental Centers Settlement and Release Agreement - File May 6, 2015

 

Documents filed May 6, 2015:

— Motion for Order to Approve Small Smiles Dental Centers Settlement - Filed May 6, 2015

— Small Smiles Dental Centers Settlement and Release Agreement - File May 6, 2015 (same as document above)

— Small Smiles Claims Distribution Procedures - Filed May 6, 2015

— Small Smiles Dental Centers Settlement Declaration of Dan B. Lain in Support of Settlement - Filed May 6, 2015

— Proposed Order Approving Small Smiles Dental Centers Settlement - Filed May 6, 2015

Disgraced dentist Thomas Floyd shows up to taunt protestors and show his support for Dr. Schneider

I’m receiving reports that Floyd has been there on more than one occasion this week and this picture along with others was taken as he exited Howard Schneider’s office.

More on Thomas Floyd here:

http://www.wptv.com/news/region-c-palm-beach-county/west-palm-beach/thomas-floyd-plea-agreement-in-dentistry-child-abuse-case

Mother says hearing-impaired child drew picture of dentist...

Mother says hearing-impaired child drew picture of dentist...

Howard S Schneider, DDS Jacksonville, Florida was sued for overtreatment of a 5 year old in 1994

By Samantha Manning

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. —

Action News has learned the Jacksonville pediatric dentist under investigation for allegations of mistreating children was sued nearly 20 years ago for performing unnecessary dental treatment on a child.

Amy Brown told Action News she brought her son Kyle Bramel to Dr. Howard Schneider in 1994 when Bramel was only 5 years old.

It was a decision she said that still haunts her.

“I felt so guilty and I still do,” Brown said. “I still feel very guilty.”

Brown said she brought Bramel in for a cleaning but instead Schneider ended up shaving down multiple teeth and put on silver caps without Brown’s permission.
Brown said her son was visibly injured and she rushed him to the emergency room.

“His mouth was cut open and he had bruises,” Brown said. “His lips were all swollen. He was choking on blood from crying.”

Brown filed a lawsuit against Schneider that ended in a settlement of $7,500 with the insurance carrier.

From that amount, $2,222.38 went to costs and $3,000 went to attorney’s fees. Brown received $2,277.62 as Bramel’s mother and guardian, according to court documents.

(settlement agreement at the end of this story)

Another patient of Dr. Howard S Schneider recalls being restrained

Another patient of Dr. Howard S Schneider recalls being restrained.  Yet some of “experts”  have testified children do not remember. ( I have to wonder if Dr. Schneider went to the Eddie DeRose School of Papoose Board training at some point.)

Howard S. Schneider, DDS, Jacksonville, FL Being Investigated for Medicaid Fraud

 

Dentist investigated for possible Medicaid fraud Embattled Southside pediatric dentist under investigation by state
April 30, 2015

Excerpts:

…Lt. Michael Maloney with the Florida Attorney General's office is in Jacksonville, investigating claims of Medicaid fraud by Dr. Howard Schneider…

…The mother who started the social media campaign against Schneider (pictured) said she decided to post to Facebook what happened to her child in December. Within a few hours of her post, dozens of parents flooded the News4Jax newsroom with calls and emails about Schneider, whose pediatric dental practice is on University Boulevard. Brandi Motley claims her daughter went in to get one tooth fixed but ended up with a mouthful of problems.

…“She's been going to the dentist since she was 2, and she's never had any teeth problems, no decaying no cavities, and now all of a sudden her whole mouth is messed up because of him,” Motley said.

…Motley said she wasn't allowed into the procedure room while Schneider was working on her daughter in December. She said the nurse came into the waiting room three hours later and told her there had been an accident. Motley said the nurse told her to take her child to the emergency room, but she said the story the nurse told her didn't match with the story her daughter told her.

Hear From A Former Patient of Howard S Schneider, DDS, Jacksonville, FL

Imagine the vast number of videos there could be from abused patients who visited Small Smiles and the other dental mills.  I hope Shawn inspires more victims to speak out; maybe even create a Abused At The Dentist Youtube Channel. 

Click the picture below to go to Shawn’s Youtube videos.

Posted April 28, 2015

Just a few of the comments left by parents regarding Dr. Howard S. Schneider of Jacksonville, FL

April 28, 2015

**My two boy's was seeing him and he was very rude to my boy's told them to shut the hell up and that it didn't hurt that bad and he would be really rough with them . And then my son spacer fall out a week later i take him back and he told me that it was going to cost me 112.00 for it . and Both my kids had fill end and all that and even got caps in there mouths . Both my boys told me mom i don't wont to go back to him i told them well he is the olny person who take your ins so we have to see him . But i hope he gets whats coming because this is so wrong how he have don't people kids if he didn't like his job then he shouldn't been working around children .

**that same denist my daughter went because that only denist kids on the southside town of bye my house dont know what street it was butt that man trie he leg up and she was get root crawn and she was mad at him and he call her a bate.... she was 4 year and from that day she was so scare of denist. then denist in sc was so nice and told me she he had no right to tired her leg up and.. noww she not scare of denist any more she 12 year. that man is a jack ass

**he also treat kids that are in wheel chair too that dr was so mean to my daughter and was scare . I hope that dr go to jail.... what he did my child was wrong or any children.

**I took my son there when he was 2 1/2. He had him strapped down and my son screamed the whole time he drilled - he told me it was normal for kids to scream over the drill noise. I always suspected he didn't use anything to numb him. It was a terrible traumatic experience that day. I feel sick to know that I was right - that man needs to go to jail for a long time!!!

**My son was a patient of Dr. Schneider and it was the worst experience ever. my son was 3yrs old getting fill-in, root canals & caps. I couldn't understand why my 3yr old son had such bad dental hygiene especially if it wasn't like that before. Dr. Schneider or his employees don't know how to cater to small children. Instead he do incomplete work and create more problems. He don't care about his patience and is in it for the money. His office over schedule patience which makes your visit an all day process. This office need to be closed down because they are rude, disrespectful, unprofessional and hurt children. I report Dr. Schneider to the police and Medicaid and I'm happy something is finally being done.

**Don't let this so-called "doctor" fool you. He's been at this a very long time. 40 years ago, I was but a child, when my brother and I used to go to him. He was very rough and abusive with us, and if we cried one iota he would slap our faces, and told us to "stop crying." If cried louder, he would choke us. Thank GOD, our father heard us. He pushed through the front nurse, grabbed my brother, and myself right out of the chairs, and we were never brought to him again.

http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/news/local/action-news-investigates-parents-claim-local-pedia/nk5Hq/

Howard S. Schneider, DDS: 2008 ‘'The child of today is smart, manipulative, and, spoiled”

 

Published in the Southern Society of Pediatric Dentistry Newsletter, August 2008

The Last Word

By Howard S. Schneider, DDS MSD Editor

CHANGE! This election may be remembered as one of the most exciting elections in American history.

Yes! It is time for change. Not only do we need change in our political system, we need change in how we deliver pediatric dentistry. All of us have hung the sign on the door notifying the parent that we are taking the child to the operatory WITHOUT THEM. That was the way it was as long as I can remember. After completing treatment, we brought the happy / or unhappy child out to the parent and discussed procedure and results. And, yes, the parents accepted the comments, made another appointment and case closed. However, changes have slowly been taking place. There is change in the 2008 parents in the philosophy of raising their children; There is change in the child who has a mind of his / her own; change in the laws in treatment of the child / changes in public attitude and their concerns and trust in the professions. All the child has to do is tell the parent “they hurt me.” Then you spend the next hour explaining why you helped him. The child of today is smart, manipulative, and, spoiled. They know how to work the system. Oh yes! The word change in this article is in no way any endorsement of my political preferences. That is one man’s opinion, and,THAT IS THE LAST WORD

No, Dr. Howard S. Schneider, that’s NOT The Last Word!