Understanding Professional Liability Insurance for Veterinarians
Veterinary professional liability insurance protects you in the event that something goes wrong. Whether it was your fault, an accident, or a customer is placing the blame on you, having the right protection and coverage in place is essential.
Professional liability insurance is a must-have for vets and other healthcare professionals.
There are many other types of insurance that you should consider for your veterinary practice, such as worker’s compensation insurance and general business insurance coverage. But for now, this blog post will explain professional liability insurance for veterinarians in more detail.
What is professional liability insurance?
Professional liability insurance is available for all kinds of businesses – a type of insurance that is there to protect your business against claims of negligence. And while you no doubt perform your job to the best of your ability, occasionally mistakes happen.
Aside from veterinarians, other professionals who benefit from professional liability insurance include doctors, lawyers, accountants, and other healthcare specialists.
Mistakes are made – it’s a given. However, sometimes these mistakes can have severe consequences. Maybe you prescribed the wrong medication to somebody’s dog, or perhaps you performed surgery and made a pre-existing injury worse.
Whatever it is, there comes a time (for most veterinary professionals) when a client may threaten to sue for negligence. Claims like these can be very expensive, even if you win the trial.
It’s not nice to think about, but protecting yourself and your practice is key.
For many smaller businesses, malpractice lawsuits can put them out of business (if they do not have the right insurance in place).
So, don’t take the risk – professional liability insurance is not there to trip you up – it’s there to protect you in the event of a mistake or when a client thinks you acted negligently.
Safeguard yourself and your practice with veterinary malpractice insurance
There’s only so much you can do to protect yourself when providing a professional service. You can perform all the right procedures, prescribe the right medication, and administer the correct precautions, but you may still encounter a malpractice lawsuit.
The problem occurs when you’re faced with expensive legal fees to defend a malpractice case. Even if you are in the right, without the correct insurance in place, you could be spending thousands of dollars out of pocket.
A malpractice case is not cheap, win or lose. It’s one extra reason to prepare for the worst (that does not mean that you do not trust your professional abilities). It’s best to remain prepared than risk your entire business and possibly even your dream job.
To summarize
Professional liability insurance can be a complicated topic. Many professionals are uncertain whether they require this type of insurance. However, all too often, vets and others leave it too late to protect themselves.
Purchasing veterinary liability insurance does not mean you don’t trust your veterinary abilities. Instead, it’s a form of protection against malpractice claims, which, unfortunately, you’re likely to face at some point during a full career.
If you’re a solo vet practitioner, you should also look into malpractice insurance. Sometimes, this is supplied by your employer. But it’s best to remain up to date with your policies – sometimes, you may only have partial coverage, leaving the remaining payments to come out of pocket.
FAQs
What insurance does a veterinary practice need?
A veterinary practice requires several types of insurance, such as professional liability, workers’ compensation insurance, business insurance, and others.
Do vets need professional liability insurance?
Yes! Professional liability insurance will protect you against negligent claims (whether you made a mistake or not). Don’t leave it too late – purchase insurance before you face a claim.
How do you stay up to date on the latest veterinary practices?
To stay up to date with the latest veterinary practices we recommend reading journals, attending booster sessions and classes, and remaining active on social media, following the necessary education and training companies on social media.
Do vets need workers’ compensation insurance?
Workers’ compensation insurance will protect your employee’s wages if they are unable to work due to an accident. This type of insurance is required by law in some states, but either way, is an advisable investment for all veterinary practices with employees.