Insurance, Professional Liability, and Malpractice Lawsuits

Medical malpractice is not a present generation invention. However, malpractice insurance, professional liability, and defensive medicine have found more relevance today as the medical profession sees continuing rise in malpractice cases filed against doctors. Whether these are merely media hype that blew isolated cases of flops under a cosmetic surgeon's knife out of proportion, or are indicators of a decline in the profession's conduct, malpractice insurance in the United States has lately become a federal issue.

Now, almost every doctor practicing in every US state carries malpractice insurance. Professional liability insurance provides doctors protection against financial losses when patients who might have been dissatisfied with their healthcare bring legal action against their doctors. In the medical profession, malpractice occurs when a doctor is said to have been negligent. What does that mean?

Negligence happens when a healthcare professional fails to do something any other professional of their qualification would have done under the same circumstances. Misdiagnosing a medical condition or being unable to diagnose a medical condition is malpractice. Not providing appropriate medical treatment or the undue delay of treatment for an already diagnosed illness is malpractice.

Professional code of ethics and total patient care have been around for centuries. Malpractice insurance, professional liability issues, and treatment protocols of medical institutions have gained front-page media attention in recent years because of frivolous lawsuits filed by sue-happy individuals. While not every malpractice lawsuit is illegitimate, doctors still need protect themselves - and their pockets - from those that are.

If you are in the healthcare profession, protecting yourself from this particular risk can save you from financial trouble. If you don't already carry one, start shopping for providers of this type of insurance now. When the actual malpractice lawsuit comes, you'll be faced with a significant stressor. Wouldn't it be one less burden on you if you don't have to worry about going bankrupt on top of losing your license?