“Billy Lee Hatcher was working on an Oklahoma rig in September 2010 when a brake handle slipped. It smashed into his face, breaking his jaw and damaging teeth.

He sought treatment advice at OU’s dental school. Dr. Steven Sullivan, chairman of the oral surgery department, referred him to a former student who practiced near the patient’s home: Dr. Rocky Cullens.

Hatcher went under the knife in January 2011, at Cullens’ office. The suit says he should have had surgery in a hospital operating room, because of his high blood pressure and other health issues.

Respiratory trouble began about three minutes after the procedure did, the lawsuit says. It alleges that Cullens kept operating for about 40 minutes before attempting CPR and deciding to call 911.

Hatcher died at age 47, after three months in a coma.”