Liability Insurance and the Legal Nurse Consultant

There have been several threads about liability insurance for the Legal Nurse Consultant (LNC). Many are inquiring, "Should I purchase the coverage?"

Many nurses have been advised not to receive liability insurance. This advice can come from fellow colleagues, educators, employers, attorneys, and well-meaning friends. Personally, I would never consider practicing as an RN without it. But, that is a topic for another thread.

It stands to reason that I would never practice as an LNC without proper liability coverage.

The LNC should be advised to receive proper coverage as it applies to the following circumstances:

• Damages resulting from negligent acts
• Damages resulting in errors or omissions on the part of the LNC in professional services rendered that are legally deemed to be negligent and that result in damage to the person, property, or legitimate interests of others
• Damages which should have been rendered in the LNC's professional capacity as a Legal Nurse Consultant
• Damages which may occur if an employee/client is injured during business operations
• Damages from allegations regarding the LNC company's failure to provide an adequate level of professional service which in turn causes the client to suffer monetarily from that failure
• Damages from privacy violation, slander, libel, assault, and battery committed in the conduct of the LNC professional services

As an LNC, we provide provide many of the following services (not all inclusive):

• training and education for clients, fellow colleagues, the public at large
• medical-legal consultation
• guest speaker at seminars
• testifying as expert witness

A couple companies that provide liability coverage:

Nurses Services Organization

Complete Equity Markets, Inc.

The American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC), as do I, endorses NSO.

I realize that it is a personal choice to receive coverage. Every RN should educate him/herself about whether this is appropriate for their practice as LNC.