Why do pro-bono work?

[Aceofspades]

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Sorry for another liability thread but I was wondering why professionals (not just dentists) do pro-bono work. They are doing good for the community at a great risk to themselves. One can easily be sued for malpractice while trying to play the role of a good Samaritan. Wouldn't it be better to just donate $1,000 dollars rather than doing $1,000 dollars worth of free work?

If you donate money for a good cause you can't be held liable while if you do a procedure in your own office you most certainly can. And if you think just because you helped someone out with a free or severly reduced cost procedure that they will be grateful think again. We live in a very litigious society. Couple that with the difference in income bewteen you and your pro-bono patient and that sounds like a recipe for disaster.

 

[djeffreyt]

There is a little difference in donating $1000 of money or $1000 of work in that you are donating your skill as well as your money. Of course you avoid some possible complications if you just donate $, but I suppose that just comes down to personality and trust. But if we all just donated $1000, we're just passing the problem along to the poor schmuck dentist who does eventually get the patient if that is a patient who likes to sue.

 

[aphistis]

Sorry for another liability thread but I was wondering why professionals (not just dentists) do pro-bono work. They are doing good for the community at a great risk to themselves. One can easily be sued for malpractice while trying to play the role of a good Samaritan. Wouldn't it be better to just donate $1,000 dollars rather than doing $1,000 dollars worth of free work?

If you donate money for a good cause you can't be held liable while if you do a procedure in your own office you most certainly can. And if you think just because you helped someone out with a free or severly reduced cost procedure that they will be grateful think again. We live in a very litigious society. Couple that with the difference in income bewteen you and your pro-bono patient and that sounds like a recipe for disaster.

Many of your fears are greatly exaggerated, and doing $1000 of free dentistry costs much less than writing a $1000 check.

 

[DrJeff]

Many of your fears are greatly exaggerated, and doing $1000 of free dentistry costs much less than writing a $1000 check.

+1

If you're really worried about the liability issues of doing a grand worth of work on someone, then there are many community health centers across the country where you can donate your time and services and be under the coverage of their malpractice policy (kind of like dental school) - the thing is that to do that, very,very often you're working at their clinic with their materials and their staff which after a while of having worked in your office with your materials and your staff can be a very unappealing option.

From my experience, the vast majority of folks that you decide to do pro bono work on are so appreciative of what you're doing for them that the last thing they'd contemplate is sueing you

 

[La fea]

+1

From my experience, the vast majority of folks that you decide to do pro bono work on are so appreciative of what you're doing for them that the last thing they'd contemplate is sueing you

+1
You took the words out of my mouth.