Options for Liability Insurance for relief

[vetvetvetvet]

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Hi everyone!

I will be doing relief work and some rescue work, so I will need to get my own liability insurance. I currently have liability insurance through my work, but I think it only covers me at my work. What are some good (but inexpensive) insurance companies to use? I heard of AVMA.. I am really not looking to spend a lot of money because I won’t be doing this that often. If you can give names and what they cover and monthly price with their website info too that would be great!

 

[JaynaAli]

The AVMA one is extremely easy to sign up for and very reasonably priced, especially if you’re small animal exclusive or mostly small animal. It’s more expensive for food animal and equine vets. Mines like $500 a year for maximum protections and license defense. You do have to be an AVMA member though so dues for that also needs factored in to the price…I think those are $370 so a little under 900 for the year. Their coverages are online. I haven’t had to file a claim so can’t comment on that experience, but AVMA PLIT is by far the most common choice.

It’s not a bad idea to have your own anyway, just to be sure you’re covered and your job doesn’t somehow “forget” to cover you or something. It’s well worth the money.

Coverage for Individual Veterinarians | AVMA PLIT

View previous Annual Premiums Veterinary License Defense As veterinary licensing agencies more aggressively investigate complaint

www.avmaplit.com

 

[SkiOtter]

I have mine through Safehold. Was about the same cost as AVMA but you don’t need to be an AVMA member. AVMA is definitely easier to sign up for if that matters to you though.

For Veterinary & Animal Services Professionals

www.safehold.com

 

[Minnerbelle]

Relief or not, get yourself malpractice insurance asap! I personally would never rely on “company” insurance because their job is to protect the business and not the individual doctor, especially if you need coverage after you’ve left the company for something that happened while you were employed there. Even if you’re still employed, you want to be able to have your say in fighting lawsuits vs. settling. Sometimes it’s easier/cheaper for the company to settle than to fight it, but you might feel that you truly didn’t do any wrong and want to fight it.

Also my first company never paid my premiums even though it was in my contract that they would cover my malpractice insurance… so I practiced for 6 months without any sort of coverage…

It’s really not that expensive, and worth it for your sanity. I just do AVMA plit though I’m not sure what the benefit of being an AVMA member is so it does feel like the AVMA membership is a waste of funds.

 

[pp9]

I second AMVA PLIT - it's just so easy and is very reasonably priced. There are several non-AVMA insurances out there (Google for them), but PLIT is by far the most popular. If your primary job pays for your AVMA dues/PLIT, talk to PLIT about taking out a secondary policy or something.

Also, I would make sure your primary job is in fact paying for you to have individual liability insurance as opposed to having business liability insurance and telling you that your covered. There is a difference and sometimes clinics are doing the latter.

 

[battie]

Also, you can use your CE from your primary job to pay for AVMA PLIT coverage

 

[AnaMolly]

Hi everyone!

I will be doing relief work and some rescue work, so I will need to get my own liability insurance. I currently have liability insurance through my work, but I think it only covers me at my work. What are some good (but inexpensive) insurance companies to use? I heard of AVMA.. I am really not looking to spend a lot of money because I won’t be doing this that often. If you can give names and what they cover and monthly price with their website info too that would be great!

I would echo what others have said about getting your own liability insurance anyway for all the reasons given whether or not the company you work for provides it. Based on experience, I’d never trust that they’d have my best interest in mind when it came down to it. I use Safehold since you don’t have to be an AVMA member because I’m not consistent with my membership.

 

[vetvetvetvet]

Relief or not, get yourself malpractice insurance asap! I personally would never rely on “company” insurance because their job is to protect the business and not the individual doctor, especially if you need coverage after you’ve left the company for something that happened while you were employed there. Even if you’re still employed, you want to be able to have your say in fighting lawsuits vs. settling. Sometimes it’s easier/cheaper for the company to settle than to fight it, but you might feel that you truly didn’t do any wrong and want to fight it.

Also my first company never paid my premiums even though it was in my contract that they would cover my malpractice insurance… so I practiced for 6 months without any sort of coverage…

It’s really not that expensive, and worth it for your sanity. I just do AVMA plit though I’m not sure what the benefit of being an AVMA member is so it does feel like the AVMA membership is a waste of funds.

Where would I get malpractice insurance? Is that separate from liability insurance? This is my first real job so I haven’t had to get any of this yet! Thank you!

 

[SkiOtter]

Where would I get malpractice insurance? Is that separate from liability insurance? This is my first real job so I haven’t had to get any of this yet! Thank you!

Malpractice insurance is professional liability insurance. Minner was just recommending that you should definitely get your own policy even if work covers you 🙂

 

[vetvetvetvet]

thanks everyone so much for your responses! I looked in my employee handbook and it states about liability insurance: “The company provides professional liability insurance to all veterinarians who are on our payroll. Veterinarians employed through a 1099 arrangement or covered by __ professional liability insurance while performing work for __. Also note that __ employees are covered offsite while performing company related work”

 

[vetvetvetvet]

Malpractice insurance is professional liability insurance. Minner was just recommending that you should definitely get your own policy even if work covers you 🙂

Ok got it thank you!

 

[Minnerbelle]

Where would I get malpractice insurance? Is that separate from liability insurance? This is my first real job so I haven’t had to get any of this yet! Thank you!

Yup as skiotter said, professional liability insurance. You can get it through AVMA. Make sure you also include Board defense which is an add on option that is not automatically included with the base plan. This gives you a lawyer if you get a board complaint, which happens through a different process with your state veterinary board vs. a civil malpractice lawsuit (rarely criminal) through the justice system.