Horry County wife sues husband’s dentist in his death. He went for ‘recommended’ treatment
A wife claiming that her husband died in the care of his Horry County dentist has filed a wrongful death suit against him and his practice.
Flora Williamson filed the suit on June 30 against Taurean Hodges and his practice, Inlet Premier Implant and Cosmetic Dentistry.
Williamson claims in the suit that her husband, Kenneth Williamson, suffered personal injuries from Hodges’ care, which resulted in his death on Aug. 26, 2020.
The suit claims that Hodges failed to offer proper medical assessment and sedation, while factoring in Kenneth Williamson’s medical history.
Kenneth Williamson was on different medications, including blood pressure and prescription muscle relaxers, when he went to Hodges for “recommended” treatment of heavy tartar and extractions, the suit says.
Hodges had previously prescribed four .25 milligram tablets of Halcion with the instruction to take four pills 30 minutes before the appointment, according to the suit. This was four times the maximum recommended dosage for Williamson’s medical conditions and medications, the suit says.
Halcion is a drug that is used short term to treat insomnia.
No monitors were placed on Williamson, which is required by the South Carolina Dental Sedation Act to continuously monitor heart rate, respirations and oxygen saturation, the suit claims. The suit alleges that Hodges was practicing sedation on his patients without a sedation permit which is required by the sedation act.
Hodges administered local anesthetic and shortly thereafter, Williamson became unresponsive and turned blue, the suit says. Hodges then administered .6 milligrams of Flumazenil intramuscularly at 9:15 a.m. However, EMS was not called until 9:44 a.m., according to the suit.
Flumazenil is a drug used to reverse the effects of a benzodiazepine sedative.
When EMS arrived, Williamson was found “pulseless, apenic and unresponsive” with Hodges performing CPR. EMS was told that Hodges also administered 1 milligram of Versed, a drug that is used to help a person relax before having minor surgery or dental work, before beginning the procedure, however there is no documentation in the dental record of it being given to Williamson, the suit says.
Williamson was transported to Waccamaw Hospital Emergency Room where he was pronounced dead.
An obituary for Williamson listed him as 70 years old and from Little River.
The suit claims that Hodges did not discuss with Williamson the risks of performing the scheduled procedure in the dental office without monitors rather than in a hospital setting. Hodges “provided sedation and treatment that was dangerous, damaging, life threatening, and ultimately, fatal” to Williamson, the suit says.
The suit says that Hodges was a licensed practicing dentist in Horry County at the time. Hodges’ practice appears to have offices in both Myrtle Beach and Murrells Inlet in Georgetown County.
A message left at Hodges’ office Thursday was not immediately returned.
Williamson is requesting a jury trial and damages to be determined by a jury.
Olivia Palmer of Palmer Law Firm in Beaufort, one of Flora Williamson’s attorneys, said Wednesday that she wanted to talk to her client before commenting on the suit. A message left with her other attorney, Ian Maguire of Maguire Law Firm in Myrtle Beach, was not immediately returned.
