The family of a young woman who died after receiving a local anesthetic at a dental clinic in Morden, Man., has filed a lawsuit alleging negligence by the dentist, his dental corporation and the corporation that owns the clinic. Dulaney Stewart Blatz, the father of Virginia Mae Blatz and the administrator of her estate, filed a statement of claim on Sept. 29 in the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba. The claim alleges Blatz, who was from Morris, Man., went to Boundary Trails Dental Centre on the morning of Nov. 27, 2024, for a wisdom tooth extraction. It says she was given fentanyl and midazolam intravenously in preparation for the procedure, and that dentist Ronald David Janz administered the local anesthetic articaine at about 9:20 a.m. Minutes later, the claim alleges Blatz “experienced two brief periods of tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizure activity, following which she ceased breathing with absent pulse.” An ambulance was called and she was taken to Boundary Trails Health Centre, where she was pronounced dead. The filing states the cause of death was local anesthetic systemic toxicity. It alleges the dental care Janz provided “was administered negligently, causing or materially contributing to Virginia’s death.” Janz, his dental corporation, and the dental corporation that operates the clinic are listed as defendants. The claim lists numerous alleged failures by Janz, including “injecting the needle directly into a blood vessel instead of the target tissue” and “failing to aspirate the syringe plunger back to check for blood.” It also alleges Janz used a dosage of articaine beyond the acceptable amount, failed to inform Blatz of the risks of the combined medications, and failed to start or delayed lipid emulsion therapy, a treatment used for anesthetic toxicity. The claim alleges the dental centre was also negligent, including by failing to educate or adequately educate all staff about the danger of local anesthetic systemic toxicity. It says the centre did not have lipid emulsion therapy or an equivalent antidote on site and did not have protocols for emergency preparedness. It also alleges the centre failed to have a dental anesthesiologist administer and monitor Blatz, and failed to have oxygen “readily available for administration.” The claim seeks a total of $130,000 for family members under Manitoba’s Fatal Accidents Act, including for Blatz’s parents, siblings, and grandparents. It also seeks funeral and burial costs, interest and legal costs. According to the Manitoba Dental Association’s public registry, Janz has been licensed since 2015. The registry lists restrictions on his licence, including that he may administer local anesthetic only under supervision, as well as restrictions on sedation services. CTV News has reached out to Boundary Trails Dental Centre for comment. Last month, the family told CTV News they believed the Manitoba Dental Association’s investigation into Blatz’s death was taking too long. No statement of defence has been filed and none of the allegations have been proven in court.
