Veterinary offices are very busy places, and it is hard for the veterinary staff to take time to think about what type of insurance their business needs. However, not getting the right insurance can leave some holes in the company’s coverage and leave the office vulnerable to financial losses. There are two types of insurance in particular that a veterinary office should be familiar with.
Professional Liability vs General Liability
These types of insurance sound similar, but they cover two different types of risks. Let’s start with professional liability and what kinds of incidents this can cover.
Professional liability (sometimes called errors and omissions insurance) covers the legal fees associated with malpractice or professional negligence. A client might sue your office because an employee lost a pet, the head nurse gave a client the wrong medicine and the pet got sick, or something similar. This can include billing errors or misplaced lab reports. No matter how careful you and your employees are, there is always the chance for something to go wrong when you are dealing with other people’s animals, and people are very sensitive to the needs of their pets.
General liability insurance is sometimes called commercial liability insurance and covers property damage, bodily injury, or other risks associated with being a veterinary office that can lead to lawsuits. This type of insurance would cover you if a client tripped and fell in your waiting room because you had electrical cords crossing the area. It would cover things such as one client’s dog biting another client’s dog while they both wait to be checked up on, or a pet getting injured by an automatically closing door at the entrance.
Why Veterinarian Offices Need Both
A veterinary office is full of hazards that can lead to lawsuits. Some of them spring from the work that you do and the fact that you are working with non-human animals. Some of those hazards come from the building itself or the situations that are associated with veterinary practices but aren’t directly involved with the job, such as having a kennel full of sick animals or a waiting room full of nervous dogs. Either type of risk can put a dent in your business’s finances if you aren’t insured against them.
Finally
If you would to like to discuss your options for veterinarian insurance please call us at 561-732-9305 our quoting hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM. In addition, you can request a quote online. Please remember, We Handle All the Work, While You Save!
Robert Macoviak is the President of Oyer, Macoviak and Associates. Oyer, Macoviak and Associates is the oldest independent insurance agency in Boynton Beach and has been in business since 1953. Oyer, Macoviak and Associates are vested members of the community who are committed to doing business face-to-face and being your insurance advocate in times of need.
