You may not want to spend any more money and opt out of buying your Claims Made Medical Malpractice Insurance Policy. However, as a physician, you can never be too protected. This is because, unfortunately, you may face a situation in which a patient or colleague accuses you of medical misconduct. Without insurance, this may become an expensive situation to clear up, especially if it was a wrongful claim in the first place. Continue reading to learn the consequences you may face as an uninsured physician accused of medical misconduct; and how one of the seasoned New York attorneys representing uninsured physicians at Walker Medical Law can valiantly come to your defense.
What happens if I am an uninsured physician who is accused of medical misconduct?
If you are an insured physician facing a medical misconduct lawsuit, then you may simply send relevant documents to your insurance provider. From there, they may assign a legal defense on your behalf, on top of paying for any legal bills that arise.
On the other hand, if you are an uninsured physician, quite the opposite occurs. That is, you may find yourself paying out-of-pocket for all your legal fees. What’s more, if you ultimately lose your medical misconduct case, then you may have to pay off the damages that have been claimed. This is not to mention the possible cost of restoring your medical license down the line. Ultimately, this becomes a far greater expense than if you were to purchase a Claims Made Medical Malpractice Insurance Policy from the start.
Can I still be punished as a retired physician?
Sadly, even if you have been long retired from the medical field, you may still get a medical misconduct claim placed against you. Evidently, you are no longer covered by your Claims Made Medical Malpractice Insurance Policy; but the punishments you are facing are all the more real. This is particularly true if you did not purchase the “tail” of the insurance coverage, as this is specifically made to cover costs a physician may encounter with any litigation proceedings that occur after their retirement.
If you find yourself in this particular set of circumstances, then it is best to reach out to your former insurance carrier. In a best-case scenario, the company may offer a defense or settle the case on your behalf. But in a worst-case scenario, they may reject this responsibility and you may have to defend this claim on your own. Well, you should turn to a seasoned medical malpractice defense attorney, instead.
As soon as you can, pick up the phone and call one of the skilled New York attorneys representing uninsured physicians. Someone at Walker Medical Law will be happy to answer.
