A lot of my coworkers have been debating lately about carrying malpractice insurance. I've always been a cautious person and carry it, especially because I don't know what the future holds and am under the impression that if legal issues came up after leaving a facility that they would not defend me.
Many people however are of the mindset that carrying additional insurance makes one a target for lawsuits and no one will bother to go after you if you're not insured and thus not financially worth the effort. Several people have stories of uninsured nurses being dismissed from cases after the lawyers surveyed who had coverage and who didn't.
I would rather have malpractice insurance and never need it, than to need it and never have it. I've posted before about the circumstances that took place when I was named in a lawsuit. My employer covered the nurses. The first thing the attorneys wanted to know is if we had our own insurance. Then they made it abundantly clear that there was no guarantee that they would represent the individual nurses throughout the proceedings. And it is true that before the lawsuit ended, they no longer represented me. Furthermore, I didn't like the tone throughout. I would have been better represented as an indivudual, had I gone and obtained my own counsel. I learned about malpractice insurance the hard way, and I already knew how important it is to carry it. I hope anyone reading this doesn't make a big mistake by dismissing the importance of individual malpractice insurance.
IF that's true that people are more likely to sue a nurse individually if they have insurance and thus have "deep pockets," what if I don't have insurance but they find out I own a home? No way am I putting my home at risk!
Peace of mind is worth $100/year. I have been told not to admit I have insurance until absolutely necessary.
At my hospital there was a nurse accused of "diverting" narcotics. The nurse got a lawyer and fought it and won. I know it wasn't the hospital paying her lawyer.
I'm one of those nurses who would never consider working without my own coverage. My father is a physician who advised me back when I was nursing school to always carry my own coverage, and never depend on an employer to protect me, and everything I've seen in the 25 years of my career since then has only reinforced to me what excellent advice that is!
when i was in nursing school we had to carry our own student policy, as i'd imagine a lot of schools require. We were told by one professor at the time that we should always carry the insurance throughout our careers, but had no obligation to let an employer or patient or anyone else for that matter know that we have it. And that we were probably better off not spreading the word that we carry anything additional that the hospital coverage.
... and ... What if you are sued for something you did or said when you were not at work? (e.g. on this website, volunteering at your church, giving advice to a friend, etc.)
Anyone who thinks their employer is going to take care of them in all cases is way too naive. I would never discontinue my professional Liability Insurance. I haven't worked at the bedside for a couple of years now, but I still carry my own insurance. I just got my renewal forms in the mail yesterday. It will cost me $114 for the year. Cheap for the coverage that I am getting.
As an RN who was involved in litigation over my husbands death from a medical "incident" I can tell you that you are immune from a malpractice settlement if you don't have insurance. Med mal is a very expensive field (expert witnesses cost me over $150,000) and if there is no money, there will be no attorney thus no med mal case. So if you don't have malpractice insurance and are involved in case, you will be excluded because you don't have enough money. They may still make your life hell with the BON though. And for those of you that have over a million dollars coverage, you are now the "deep pocket" and would likely be the number one health care worker they would go after as most MD's just carry 1 million dollars.
As an RN who was involved in litigation over my husbands death from a medical "incident" I can tell you that you are immune from a malpractice settlement if you don't have insurance. Med mal is a very expensive field (expert witnesses cost me over $150,000) and if there is no money, there will be no attorney thus no med mal case. So if you don't have malpractice insurance and are involved in case, you will be excluded because you don't have enough money. They may still make your life hell with the BON though. And for those of you that have over a million dollars coverage, you are now the "deep pocket" and would likely be the number one health care worker they would go after as most MD's just carry 1 million dollars.
with all due respect, you are offering dangerous (and faulty) advice based on your experience
As an RN who was involved in litigation over my husbands death from a medical "incident" I can tell you that you are immune from a malpractice settlement if you don't have insurance. Med mal is a very expensive field (expert witnesses cost me over $150,000) and if there is no money, there will be no attorney thus no med mal case. So if you don't have malpractice insurance and are involved in case, you will be excluded because you don't have enough money. They may still make your life hell with the BON though. And for those of you that have over a million dollars coverage, you are now the "deep pocket" and would likely be the number one health care worker they would go after as most MD's just carry 1 million dollars.
A healthcare worker wouldn't literally be "immune" to a possible settlement. However, you are correct that it is all about the insurance money. There are alot of misconceptions re nurse malpractice insurance that the insurance companies continue to promote. Nurses fall for it, it is cheap, and it eases their minds.
The only valid reason to carry malpractice insurance, my opinion, would be for state board issues. But it is a small percentage that have any dealings with the BON.
I have changed my opinion on this forum- if it feels good- do it.
100$ pretty cheap for peace of mind. (I'll keep my money in my pocket.)
The only valid reason to carry malpractice insurance, my opinion, would be for state board issues. But it is a small percentage that have any dealings with the BON.(I'll keep my money in my pocket.)
Many nurses do not realize that the role of the Board of Nursing is to protect the public, not to protect the nurse. The state boards of nursing have the task of investigating any nurse who may have allegedly violated their nurse practice act. The board is a guardian of the public. A nurse can be reported to the board by a patient, a co-worker or an employer. The employers liability policies are meant to protect the facility only, not the nurse. If you purchase Liability Insurance make sure it covers the attorney fees and costs associated with BON disciplinary investigations.
Taking the risk of being among a small percentage is greater than reaching into your pocket for $10 a month. Your license is your livelihood. Best to protect it even if you never actually need to. Peace of Mind is priceless.
The first thing the attorneys wanted to know is if we had our own insurance.
You are NOT required to answer this question at all if the attorney is not representing you unless you are in a court of law, in a binding arbitration, and even then I would refuse to answer the question unless I was given SPECIFIC instructions by the judge/arbitrator that I would be held in contempt for not answering.
If you are in a defensive position, you are not required to give any information, no matter how small, to a CIVIL attorney.
I would even tell them where I went to nursing school...make the ******* figure it out himself.
caliotter3
38,333 Posts
I would rather have malpractice insurance and never need it, than to need it and never have it. I've posted before about the circumstances that took place when I was named in a lawsuit. My employer covered the nurses. The first thing the attorneys wanted to know is if we had our own insurance. Then they made it abundantly clear that there was no guarantee that they would represent the individual nurses throughout the proceedings. And it is true that before the lawsuit ended, they no longer represented me. Furthermore, I didn't like the tone throughout. I would have been better represented as an indivudual, had I gone and obtained my own counsel. I learned about malpractice insurance the hard way, and I already knew how important it is to carry it. I hope anyone reading this doesn't make a big mistake by dismissing the importance of individual malpractice insurance.