1. Chiropractic Malpractice
Even the most skilled and careful medical practitioners can get sued. It is no guarantee that a
human being can be perfect at all times. Rarely will any medical expert make mistakes intentionally
but in case of even a minor flaw, a doctor can end up losing a major chunk of his hard-earned money.
And why to neglect the politics and diplomacy in the health care industry? There is no dearth of anti-
chiropractic medical doctors and people who are always in the lookout for an opportunity to find
loopholes in the hospital care offered to the patients. Owing to this, most of the chiropractic
malpractice cases are not due to real blunders in surgery or treatment but they stem from
misunderstandings, lack of communication and fee issues. In the recent years, an increased number
of cases regarding chiropractic malpractices have gained media attention. While some cases are
genuine, others are just featherbrained law suits filed to gain millions of dollars. It seems that to get
rich quickly, a certain group of people have found malpractice lawsuits as a great idea. To ensure
that you are screened against such malpractices, it is best to choose a suitable insurance policies
and carry on your profession with a peace of mind.
Choosing Ideal Chiropractic Malpractice Insurance Policies
Statistics collected from various sources have stated a fact that incidents of medical lawsuits against
chiropractors have increased in the last couple of years. No matter fake or real, the issue of
malpractice amongst chiropractics is now a matter of debate for medical community. So don't wait
to get a secured insurance coverage. To choose the right insurance policy, you may follow some
fundamental tips.
Know What is Being Excluded
Surprising it may seem, but still many insurance policies
come with a variety of exclusions that decrease the worth of
these policies. Cases that involve treating patients under 14
years age, professional athletes and pregnant women (after
the first trimester) are not covered. Even board complaints and sexual harassment cases are not
covered in many insurance policies. You need to think carefully about the exclusions because a
policy that considers even one or two of these exclusions is not worth the deal.
Check Out for the Defense Quality
When you are involved in a malpractice case, it is legal duty of your insurance company to protect
you to the best of their power. They will pay for the attorneys, which is certainly one of the greatest
costs incurred when fighting for a malpractice law suit. Many insure companies act smart and they
put restrictions of number of hours you can meet the attorney as they pay them on hourly basis for
consultation. It is advisable to know more about this factor, about the attorney who will protect you.
2. It is a ridiculous deal to have a low premium insurance and be defended by a weaker attorney and
lose the case to pay hefty amounts.
Be Aware About "Blackmail Settlement" Clause
Doctors of chiropractics need to be aware of the Consent to Settlement clause or hammer clause or
also known as the blackmail settlement clause. It is a part of almost all professional liability policies
in which the insurance company has the right to ask the doctor to get into settlement with the
opposite party. If the doctor refuses to do so and still fights the case, the insurance company will
only be liable to pay a fixed amount, decided by the insurance company itself. That means, if a
lawsuit demands you to pay US$100,000, the insurance company may only pay US$50,000 and get
away from the case. It will be then the sole responsibility of the doctor to manage the rest of money
besides the deductibles.
Don't Only Go for Stable Premiums
Many of us get charmed by big deductibles in
our insurance policies. While it is true that
deductibles help in low cost policies, in the long
run, they can cost us more, because the savings
on premiums gets eliminated gradually.
Similarly, pricing of the premium must not be
your sole concern. You should look for other
benefits in the insurance policies.
In the ultimate analysis, choose an insurance policy that is worth the money. In the lure of cheap
bargain, it is not wise to risk the money that has been earned by years of education and lots of hard
work. Since this information was just about some facets of choosing such right insurance policies,
you should not take it as a professional advice. Seek consultation with an attorney before choosing
an insurance policy.
