Who is Protected by Medical Malpractice Insurance?

Every service has its limitations and human error is always possible. The medical field is no different.

Some diseases can not be cured completely because every treatment has its limitations. Moreover, a human error made by a doctor or a medical care professional is not always inevitable. In such conditions, the patient has a legal right to file a case against the doctor or hospital involved.

Medical malpractice insurance protects doctors and other medical practitioners against such cases. The unfortunate mistakes made during the treatment which cause physical damage or even death of the patient, can be covered under this insurance. Medical malpractice insurance covers a broad spectrum of medical practices and also specialized treatments.

A small mistake made by a doctor can ruin his entire career. It had been said that ‘prevention is better than cure’. Meaning every medical practitioner should cover himself and his staff under medical malpractice insurance. You can choose your medical malpractice insurance by considering various factors such as number of people, types of treatments, and the amount of compensation to be covered under the policy. There are some specialized medical malpractice insurance policies which cover certain high risk treatments and non core medical care staff such as physiotherapists, nurses (nurse practitioners and travelling nurses), psychological counselors, and general or massage therapists.

Let’s consider details about medical malpractice insurance for various core and non core medical practitioners. These details include the nature of the policy, what it covers, and under what circumstances it is beneficial for the concerned professional.

Doctors:

Doctors are the first and foremost beneficiaries of medical malpractice insurance. A doctor can be directly sued for any damage caused during treatment and is at a high risk of receiving such cases against him or the medical staff practicing under him. A doctor can be sued on account of negligence while performing a duty improperly, insufficiently treating a patient, or even on the basis of wrong medication. These charges are often hard to explain in a court of law because in such cases, the patient always has an upper hand. Since the patient was under the treatment and responsibility of the doctor, he is naturally considered to be guilty. In such cases, the doctor’s last rescue is his medical malpractice insurance. If medical malpractice is proved in court, the doctor can plead guilty and utilize his medical malpractice insurance to pay the compensation amount.

Travelling Nurses:

Travelling nurses are also at high risk of being sued for medical malpractice. Since these nurses work on their own knowledge and are not generally in coordination with doctors, there is a huge risk of medical malpractice with such nurses. Since these nurses are not covered under the medical malpractice insurance policy of any hospital, it is highly advisable for them to get themselves covered under an insurance policy.

Therapists and Counselors:

Professionally, the works of both a therapist and a counselor is highly sensitive in regard to a human body. If the therapist commits a small mistake while relaxing the patient’s nerves, the patient can be left fully or partially paralyzed. Similarly, a patient can face a lifetime of problems if even one counseling session goes wrong. Therefore, medical malpractice insurance in such professions is highly essential.

Often, a hospital does not fully cover its employees under medical malpractice insurance. Some expenses such as the expenses incurred during the proceedings of the case and other expenses are generally not covered. So, it is advisable to have personal medical malpractice insurance especially for doctors dealing in high-risk medical fields such as neuroscience and cancer.

St. Louis Medical Malpractice Lawyers

Medical malpractice affects many individuals each year. If you have been a victim of medical malpractice you may be entitled to compensation. It is important to consult with an experienced Medical Malpractice Lawyer who can review your case and work to get you the compensation you deserve.

The lawyers at Zevan and Davidson Law Firm have years of experience representing a wide variety of medical malpractice cases in the St. Louis area. Contact us today at (314) 588-7200 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation.

photo credit: a.drian