Malpractice Insurance pros vs cons

CCU NRS · Apr 7, 2004

I am taking a poll from all of you nurses about Nursing Malpractice Insurance.
How many of you have it, and how many of you dont? If you dont have it, why not?
It is the general consensus in our ED that most RN's dont carry it anymore. (with the exception of the new nurses) Many people have told me that they suscribe to the theory that if you dont have anything and you get sued then they cant get "blood from a turnip"......
In PA there is supposed to be some clause where you cannot be sued and lose your domicile, (in the case of an RN being sued for malpractice, anyway). I have personally not seen that in print, but I will be checking it out. Most people say they think if a law suit is initiated then the hospital will be the one to be sued over the RN...
What do you guys think?

How many of us have nothing? do you own your car or your home? Do you get a paycheck ? Can someone actually sue you for future earnings? hmmmmm I don't know! I now carry insurance due to a problem I had with a client accusing me of abuse. The claim went unfounded but I was scared spitless for two weeks worrying aout the outcome. Would I have been any less worried with insurance probably not because nursing is my livlihood but if they would have found me guilty I would have had some protection. I now have that protection and feel safer.

veetach · Apr 7, 2004

How many of us have nothing? do you own your car or your home? Do you get a paycheck ? Can someone actually sue you for future earnings? hmmmmm I don't know! I now carry insurance due to a problem I had with a client accusing me of abuse. The claim went unfounded but I was scared spitless for two weeks worrying aout the outcome. Would I have been any less worried with insurance probably not because nursing is my livlihood but if they would have found me guilty I would have had some protection. I now have that protection and feel safer.

I dont own my home, the bank owns my car :) . Good question about future earnings, does anyone know ???? I am sorry you had to go through the experience of that case, though.. Glad you made out ok.

suzanne4, RN · Apr 7, 2004

Just because you don't have anything now, they can go after future earnings. But, on the other side of it, what if there is a problem where you work, the hospital and you get sued, but the hospital doesn't stand behind you, what are you going to do? The hospital is always going to cover themselves first.

In addition to covering you with insurance, they also provide legal services, etc. In 25 years, I have never needed it, but consider it money well worth the small cost. You carry car insurance, but usually you never need it................................and this is much cheaper.............

:balloons:

CCU NRS · Apr 7, 2004

Just because you don't have anything now, they can go after future earnings. But, on the other side of it, what if there is a problem where you work, the hospital and you get sued, but the hospital doesn't stand behind you, what are you going to do? The hospital is always going to cover themselves first.
In addition to covering you with insurance, they also provide legal services, etc. In 25 years, I have never needed it, but consider it money well worth the small cost. You carry car insurance, but usually you never need it................................and this is much cheaper.............
:balloons:

This is exactly the way I felt when I had my problem. The facility was being very gracious but they would have fed me to the wolves if it had come down to it I feel. Now with my 40 a year I will hjave my own legal council if anything ever happens again God Forbid!

Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN · Apr 7, 2004

FWIW, lots of prior threads on this.

Katnip, RN · Apr 7, 2004

If you do something that is outside hospital policy, even vaguely, you will be sued and you can bet the hospital won't be backing you up. You'll have to hire your own lawyer. The right insurance policy will cover that.

Doctors may issue poor orders, nurses administer them, and it's the nurse these days the docs and hospitals turn on. If a hospital can absolve themselves of guilt in a situation, you bet they'll turn the nurse over to the wolves.

I've talked to several lawyers who have handled cases of malpractice against nurses. Not having insurance did not protect them. Only one that I know of had a judgment against him, but it was still very costly and time consuming for nurses to defend themselves. Insurance will cover the lawyers fees and lost wages.

Also, if for any reason someone turns you in to the BON for any reason, and you are in danger of losing your license, insurance will pay for your defense.

Kind of sounds silly to me not to pay the $90 a year for it.

RNin92 · Apr 7, 2004

Lots of controversy over this subject...as other threads have shown!!

I personally carry my own insurance.

Will my hospital cover me if something happens in the course of my work? Probably.

Will my hopistal cover me if something happens not involving the hospital? Probably not.

If push comes to shove...I want a lawyer whose ONLY interest is me.

And...even if you have done nothing wrong, and things work out your way...who is paying for the lawyer to go to court with you? It can cost a great deal of money to defend yourself in this sue-crazy world.

People are worried that the other guy's lawyers will research and discover that you have insurance to go after. Well, bring it on. For $90 a year I'll take the chance. If someone is going to sue me...they are going to sue me, insurance or not.

I am a safe driver...I still carry car insurance.

I shovel my sidewalks in the winter...I still carry homowners insurance.

I get a physical yearly...I still carry health insurance.

.

veetach · Apr 7, 2004

This is exactly the way I felt when I had my problem. The facility was being very gracious but they would have fed me to the wolves if it had come down to it I feel. Now with my 40 a year I will hjave my own legal council if anything ever happens again God Forbid!

where do you get nursing malpractice insurance for $40 a year? Over the last 9 years I have paid almost $900 total!

my apologies to everyone for posting an obviously redundant thread. I didnt know this had been discussed many times before.