Family agrees to $2M settlement in teen’s dental surgery death

Published 10:38 pm Monday, December 4, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS — The family of a Minneapolis-area teen who died during surgery to remove her wisdom teeth has reached a $2 million settlement with the oral surgeon who performed the procedure.

A medical malpractice lawsuit filed against Dr. Paul Tompach said negligent and dangerous actions during the routine procedure led to the death of 17-year-old Sydney Galleger in June 2015. Those actions included incorrectly administering general anesthesia and failing to adequately monitor Galleger, of Eden Prairie, during surgery.

The case filed in Hennepin County District Court was scheduled to go to trial in May 2018. The Star Tribune reports it was settled late last month.

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A state licensing board temporarily suspended Tompach’s license. He’s currently on the faculty of the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry.