Dental brace wire lodged in intestine for a decade, doctors say

Brace yourself for this story: Ten years after her orthodontic braces were removed, a piece of dental wire was found stuck inside an Australian woman's small intestine. When the thirty-year-old woman turned up in a hospital complaining about an incredible amount of stomach pain, the cause of her suffering initially eluded the physicians trying to treat her.

“We were all a bit dumfounded,” says Dr. Shepherd. “It wasn't what I was expecting to find at all.” (Kendra Pierre-Louis:Popular Science)

Who is to blame?

When medical devices cause injury or illness, even decades later, what type of proof will courts requiret in these unique circumstances? Will the law side with patients, even decades later? Or will health professionals have time on their side?

This story raises a host of interesting legal issues including time limitations for the discovery and commencement of a legal claim, contributory negligence, professional negligence, to name a few. There is no doubt interesting cases like these rely heavily on the facts as they are discovered by a court.