As an optometrist, although not required, we recommend investing in optometrist liability insurance. Working in the healthcare industry, there is room for error when it comes to diagnosis, treatment, and advice. This is the sad truth.

Whilst optometrists act in full confidence and provide accurate information, sometimes this can be misunderstood. In these scenarios, litigation may take place.

Optometrist liability insurance covers acts and omissions you could fall liable for in your place of work. These scenarios vary massively, but may include:

  • You provide the wrong eye prescription to a patient and this worsens their vision 
  • The clinical advice you provided was unethical or dangerous 
  • Negligent behavior when treating a patient (or thought to be)

As you can see, these claims are endless. There really are infinite scenarios in which this could occur. Whilst accidents do happen in the workplace, including misinformed or misleading advice, this does not mean we shouldn’t prepare for these in advance. 

What does optometrist liability insurance cover?

Optometrist liability insurance covers all costs concerning legal battles of fees of litigation or claims made against you or your practice. For example, if you provided a patient with the wrong prescription and this caused damage to their eyes, later filing a claim against you, your liability insurance would cover you financially. 

So, why is this important? Without liability insurance in place, if a claim is made against you this could shut down your business or put you out of pocket. Often, healthcare professionals are not prepared for these scenarios. No healthcare worker has the intention of causing harm to others, but accidents do happen.

Without liability insurance, this could put you out of business or result in you losing your optometrist license. 

Although liability insurance isn’t required by law, it is highly recommended. Invest in you and your practice to protect it in the future – you never know what’s going to happen. 

To find out more information about our optometrist liability insurance, including costs and what’s included, please click here