Personal malpractice insurance....yes or no?

Specialties Ob/Gyn

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We had this discussion at work the other day. One of the points against it was that lawyers will go for the person(s) with the most . Also I know, I've been told that the hospital would back you up if you are following policy. Do you carry a personal policy?

Beth

Jim, I already answered this question on the other thread. While I find this to be an interesting topic of debate, I don't have the time or inclination to repeat my posts. Please check there, and add your comments.

With all due respect, you didn't quite answer the question as to why you would wait for a jury trial (which wouldn't happen), instead of paying. If you made a mistake that greatly affected someone's life, would you just sign over your checks/house/auto?

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With all due respect, you didn't quite answer the question as to why you would wait for a jury trial (which wouldn't happen), instead of paying. If you made a mistake that greatly affected someone's life, would you just sign over your checks/house/auto?

I wouldn't be able to sign over all my checks/house/auto as I have a family to support to. That is why I have insurance. If I thought I was at fault and the insurance denied the claim, which I am not sure they can do if I said "Yes I am responsible" then I would try to do what I could. If I knew I did something life altering I would let my insurance company know and have them contact the person/family first. Maybe it could be done without a lawyer then. If I could help monetarily I would. But no I would not take from my own family to give to someone else. I am not that unselfish. My own children will always come first. However, I would not be buying them designer duds in that case. If I could help in other ways (i.e., babysitting a child w/cp so parents could have a break or helping the family find resources, such as social security benefits for the disabled.)

My biggest pet peeve is lack of responsibility. I hate when people try to get out of stuff. Like if someone rear ends another person when driving. They still try to make excuses. Just step up to the plate and admit what you did. And deal with it. NO EXCUSES! And the people who are out to make a quick buck. The point of compensation is not to make you in a better position than before. It is to make sure you aren't in a worse position. Some pain and suffering compensation is normal but some of the verdicts are ridiculous. So if you are a drug addict who lives on the street with no job you cannot expect your family to be compensated as much as the family that lost a bread winner who earned $50,000 year.

My personal experience is that I lost my mom in May 2000, three days before Mother's Day. It was thought to have been a heart attack but it was a blood clot. My mom had suffered from these before and was on Coumadin. She was taken off for a test but then they scheduled it so far out and she wasn't told to start taking it again (she was in her 70's). Well if the dr would have followed up or if the nurse would have told her to take it until X days before the test she would probably be alive. The dr told her not to take it until the test and didn't realize that it would be so far. The nurse didn't realize the dr told her not to take it. We didn't sue the dr but you can bet I reported it. No money could replace my mom. There is no way to put our family back to its original position. Why is it people think money is due them in that case. What is due is an apology from the dr and to admit he caused my mom's death. No I didn't report the nurse as she had no way of knowing my mom was even on it.

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With all due respect, you didn't quite answer the question as to why you would wait for a jury trial (which wouldn't happen), instead of paying. If you made a mistake that greatly affected someone's life, would you just sign over your checks/house/auto?

I wouldn't be able to sign over all my checks/house/auto as I have a family to support to. That is why I have insurance. If I thought I was at fault and the insurance denied the claim, which I am not sure they can do if I said "Yes I am responsible" then I would try to do what I could. If I knew I did something life altering I would let my insurance company know and have them contact the person/family first. Maybe it could be done without a lawyer then. If I could help monetarily I would. But no I would not take from my own family to give to someone else. I am not that unselfish. My own children will always come first. However, I would not be buying them designer duds in that case. If I could help in other ways (i.e., babysitting a child w/cp so parents could have a break or helping the family find resources, such as social security benefits for the disabled.)

My biggest pet peeve is lack of responsibility. I hate when people try to get out of stuff. Like if someone rear ends another person when driving. They still try to make excuses. Just step up to the plate and admit what you did. And deal with it. NO EXCUSES! And the people who are out to make a quick buck. The point of compensation is not to make you in a better position than before. It is to make sure you aren't in a worse position. Some pain and suffering compensation is normal but some of the verdicts are ridiculous. So if you are a drug addict who lives on the street with no job you cannot expect your family to be compensated as much as the family that lost a bread winner who earned $50,000 year.

My personal experience is that I lost my mom in May 2000, three days before Mother's Day. It was thought to have been a heart attack but it was a blood clot. My mom had suffered from these before and was on Coumadin. She was taken off for a test but then they scheduled it so far out and she wasn't told to start taking it again (she was in her 70's). Well if the dr would have followed up or if the nurse would have told her to take it until X days before the test she would probably be alive. The dr told her not to take it until the test and didn't realize that it would be so far. The nurse didn't realize the dr told her not to take it. We didn't sue the dr but you can bet I reported it. No money could replace my mom. There is no way to put our family back to its original position. Why is it people think money is due them in that case. What is due is an apology from the dr and to admit he caused my mom's death. No I didn't report the nurse as she had no way of knowing my mom was even on it.

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If I become a nurse (and as I mentioned in another forum, my dreams of becoming a nurse might be slowly fading off into the sunset :o ) and I remain single... I don't know, after reading what SmilingBluEyes wrote a few posts back, it's probably worth the peace of mind. But, suits follow the money trail, and as a nurse, I probably won't have the assets to worry about it.

Now, if I'm married to the guy I'm currently dating, he'll MAKE me buy insurance. :) He's a natural born worrier and I can definitely see him insisting that I buy a policy. Not that I blame him if we are married.

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If I become a nurse (and as I mentioned in another forum, my dreams of becoming a nurse might be slowly fading off into the sunset :o ) and I remain single... I don't know, after reading what SmilingBluEyes wrote a few posts back, it's probably worth the peace of mind. But, suits follow the money trail, and as a nurse, I probably won't have the assets to worry about it.

Now, if I'm married to the guy I'm currently dating, he'll MAKE me buy insurance. :) He's a natural born worrier and I can definitely see him insisting that I buy a policy. Not that I blame him if we are married.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I wouldn't be able to sign over all my checks/house/auto as I have a family to support to. That is why I have insurance. If I thought I was at fault and the insurance denied the claim, which I am not sure they can do if I said "Yes I am responsible" then I would try to do what I could. If I knew I did something life altering I would let my insurance company know and have them contact the person/family first. Maybe it could be done without a lawyer then. If I could help monetarily I would. But no I would not take from my own family to give to someone else. I am not that unselfish. My own children will always come first. However, I would not be buying them designer duds in that case. If I could help in other ways (i.e., babysitting a child w/cp so parents could have a break or helping the family find resources, such as social security benefits for the disabled.)

My biggest pet peeve is lack of responsibility. I hate when people try to get out of stuff. Like if someone rear ends another person when driving. They still try to make excuses. Just step up to the plate and admit what you did. And deal with it. NO EXCUSES! And the people who are out to make a quick buck. The point of compensation is not to make you in a better position than before. It is to make sure you aren't in a worse position. Some pain and suffering compensation is normal but some of the verdicts are ridiculous. So if you are a drug addict who lives on the street with no job you cannot expect your family to be compensated as much as the family that lost a bread winner who earned $50,000 year.

My personal experience is that I lost my mom in May 2000, three days before Mother's Day. It was thought to have been a heart attack but it was a blood clot. My mom had suffered from these before and was on Coumadin. She was taken off for a test but then they scheduled it so far out and she wasn't told to start taking it again (she was in her 70's). Well if the dr would have followed up or if the nurse would have told her to take it until X days before the test she would probably be alive. The dr told her not to take it until the test and didn't realize that it would be so far. The nurse didn't realize the dr told her not to take it. We didn't sue the dr but you can bet I reported it. No money could replace my mom. There is no way to put our family back to its original position. Why is it people think money is due them in that case. What is due is an apology from the dr and to admit he caused my mom's death. No I didn't report the nurse as she had no way of knowing my mom was even on it.

I am so very sorry to hear about your mother. Such a sad example of how easy it is to make very simple, yet lethal mistakes.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I wouldn't be able to sign over all my checks/house/auto as I have a family to support to. That is why I have insurance. If I thought I was at fault and the insurance denied the claim, which I am not sure they can do if I said "Yes I am responsible" then I would try to do what I could. If I knew I did something life altering I would let my insurance company know and have them contact the person/family first. Maybe it could be done without a lawyer then. If I could help monetarily I would. But no I would not take from my own family to give to someone else. I am not that unselfish. My own children will always come first. However, I would not be buying them designer duds in that case. If I could help in other ways (i.e., babysitting a child w/cp so parents could have a break or helping the family find resources, such as social security benefits for the disabled.)

My biggest pet peeve is lack of responsibility. I hate when people try to get out of stuff. Like if someone rear ends another person when driving. They still try to make excuses. Just step up to the plate and admit what you did. And deal with it. NO EXCUSES! And the people who are out to make a quick buck. The point of compensation is not to make you in a better position than before. It is to make sure you aren't in a worse position. Some pain and suffering compensation is normal but some of the verdicts are ridiculous. So if you are a drug addict who lives on the street with no job you cannot expect your family to be compensated as much as the family that lost a bread winner who earned $50,000 year.

My personal experience is that I lost my mom in May 2000, three days before Mother's Day. It was thought to have been a heart attack but it was a blood clot. My mom had suffered from these before and was on Coumadin. She was taken off for a test but then they scheduled it so far out and she wasn't told to start taking it again (she was in her 70's). Well if the dr would have followed up or if the nurse would have told her to take it until X days before the test she would probably be alive. The dr told her not to take it until the test and didn't realize that it would be so far. The nurse didn't realize the dr told her not to take it. We didn't sue the dr but you can bet I reported it. No money could replace my mom. There is no way to put our family back to its original position. Why is it people think money is due them in that case. What is due is an apology from the dr and to admit he caused my mom's death. No I didn't report the nurse as she had no way of knowing my mom was even on it.

I am so very sorry to hear about your mother. Such a sad example of how easy it is to make very simple, yet lethal mistakes.

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Just curious, for those that have mp insurance, what company did you go with?

On a side note, I attended a conferernce a few years back that talked about ways to avoid being named in a lawsuit. The biggest thing I took from it was that patients do not usually sue people that were kind to them or nurses/doctors that they liked. I've always tried to follow that advice because it makes a lot of sense.

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Just curious, for those that have mp insurance, what company did you go with?

On a side note, I attended a conferernce a few years back that talked about ways to avoid being named in a lawsuit. The biggest thing I took from it was that patients do not usually sue people that were kind to them or nurses/doctors that they liked. I've always tried to follow that advice because it makes a lot of sense.

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

This is a very frequent topic here. A search will reveal many, many previous threads.

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I work in a University Hospital in OB. We had a meeting with our risk-management attorney on just this subject. She advised against getting insurance because where I work, if the hospital is sued, it does not go to civil court, it goes before a board of governors appointed by the state, and they can only hear lawsuits against the hospital, not individual nurses. I think it's different with MDs, though.

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just wanted to add a comment on patient's not suing doctors/nurses they thought were nice to them and "liked". i had a post-op gyne patient a few weeks ago. she went in for a bilateral tubal ligation and the doctor accidentally perforated her uterus. it was small and was repaired. there was a question as to whether her bowel was also injured, so they admited her for observation. in report i was told she was there to "pass gas."

anyway, during the whole night she kept saying sorry for being in pain, etc. she also said how horrible she felt for the doctor that operated on her. i could tell she genuinely liked him and that he must have been open and honest with her about what happened. she wasn't bitter at all, mostly kept apologizing for not being able to get her pain under control, etc. i later found out he had perfed her bowel and she had to have a second surgery and was lucky she didn't get septic and die.

anyway, my point is, she liked him and i really doubt she would sue. so i think there might be something to the fact of if they like you or not.

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