As a nurse practitioner, you may transition between jobs and locations throughout your career. While this is an exciting adventure, it does bear certain professional and legal implications. Here are the basics of prior acts coverage.
What Is Prior Acts Coverage?
Prior acts coverage is a kind of insurance policy add-on or feature that insurers offer for extra protection. For example, when anyone with a liability insurance policy, such as a malpractice insurance plan for nurse practitioners, changes their job, they will need a new insurance carrier. The new policy will cover all the insurable events within the agreed-upon timeframe. However, insurers will not cover the events that fall before the new policy without unique additions like prior acts coverage.
Why Is It Important?
Prior acts coverage is an essential detail to cover, especially for medical professionals. Suppose a physician made a treatment error at their previous job before their current policy began. The client realized the mistake and filed a claim in the legal system. Since the event happened before their current policy took effect, they could be held liable for all legal fees and financial compensations. Prior acts coverage insures the policyholder against these past claims.
How Can You Find It?
When you look for a new insurer that can cover your new position or location, you should ask about prior acts coverage. It’s one of the most important things to look for in an insurer. Not all carriers provide this feature, and it is essential to read the fine print. The agreement will have certain specifications about what qualifies as an insurable event in the past. Consider asking your colleagues or new employer about the best options available and cover yourself fully before any claims come your way.
Knowing the basics of prior acts coverage can prevent you from making any career-threatening mistakes. If you have any questions about prior acts coverage or are looking to add it to your professional liability policy, reach out to Baxter & Associates today. For a nurse practitioner medical malpractice insurance quote, click here.
Learning how to practice medicine is one thing, but running a medical practice is quite another. Chiropractors who finish school and want to join or start a practice often encounter a few obstacles along the way. Like many working professionals experience, there is a learning curve between what you know and what you must do once you begin a job. Here are the most common mistakes new chiropractors will make and how to avoid them.
Ignoring the Business Side
Chiropractors spend years in school to become a medical professional that makes a difference in people’s health and comfort. You spent countless hours absorbing information about the human body and physiology that few others do. Yet, there is surprisingly little education on the business front. One of the most common mistakes chiropractors make is ignoring the business side of their practice.
Relying on an Underdeveloped Business Plan
When you start any business, you must craft a thoughtful business plan. This document serves as the basis for your grand opening and operations. Chiropractors who open a practice will likely need a business plan to get meetings with investors and secure loans from banks.
However, it is common for medical professionals without extensive business education to come to the table with an underdeveloped business plan. While investors and loans may come through in the end, you will not have the preparation you need to succeed.
A well-thought-out business plan should include a realistic budget, extensive market analysis, notes on the competition, your organizational structure—the list could go on. The more details you iron out at the beginning, the simpler your work will be down the road. Instead of feeling bogged down by technicalities and business woes at the onset, you can triumph with your trusty, well-researched guide by your side.
Over-Extending on Overhead
Business requires money. And, as the saying goes, you must spend money to make money. Business overhead is the embodiment of this epigram. The tricky part is determining how much money to spend on the front end in order to start your business.
Overhead costs can quickly add up, especially if you want to outfit your offices with the latest and greatest equipment. While there is nothing wrong with setting yourself up for success at the cutting edge of technological advancement, you have other areas to budget, too. Over-extending on overhead is an easy mistake to make, but not an easy situation to escape.
It is exciting to imagine a practice with all the bells and whistles, but this is not an attainable starting point. The best plan of action is one that prioritizes a lean spending profile. The less you spend on overhead, the more you have to allocate elsewhere. A sober-minded approach to your overhead spending will ensure that you have decades of practicing to build capital and invest in the top-notch tech for years to come.
Ignoring Bedside Manner
Bedside manner is a valuable facet of medical work if leveraged correctly. Unfortunately, new chiropractors lack years of experience with all types of people to manage their interactions well. Here are a few tips for managing your patient interactions and keep people coming back.
Talking Over the Patient
As a new chiropractor, you are excited to finally spend time with patients one-on-one each day. You likely want to tell them how grateful you are they chose your new practice and share all about your journey to this milestone in your life. However, be careful not to talk too much with patients.
You should always let your personality shine, but do not get the better of yourself and converse with patients to the point they cannot address the medical issue at hand. It is always better to ask the patient too many questions and listen to their answers than to make conversation for the sake of talking and establishing rapport.
Not Focusing on the Patient Enough
Every patient deserves your undivided attention, especially while you are in the room addressing their problems. The patient chose you out of all the other options, so make them feel special from the moment they walk through the door. You want them to know that you are grateful for their business.
One of the best ways to do this is by boosting your customer service game in the waiting room. Your front desk staff are not just your schedulers and receptionists; rather, they are the face of your practice, and the first smile a patient encounters upon entry. After a positive waiting room experience, you can provide winsome treatment in the exam room and focus on their needs both empathetically and effectively.
Ignoring the Community
The local community is your “in” as a new chiropractor. Your practice needs the support of nearby denizens. Otherwise, you will not have a stable or supportive clientele. Ignoring the community is one of the most unfortunate mistakes you could make as a new chiropractor.
Overlooking Community Events
Community events happen all the time, but it is up to you to join in the fun and festivities. As a medical specialist, you have the opportunity to advertise your services and familiarize people with your craft.
For example, you could become a minor sponsor of a cause-based fun run in the area. You can get your name on the race T-shirts, set up an information booth, or even run in the race yourself to show support. No matter how you engage in these events, the most important part is to show up and have a presence.
Avoiding Active Marketing
As a business, you need a stream of new clients. Active marketing strategies are the best way to maximize your visibility and get the word out. New chiropractors who avoid advertising themselves will quickly fall behind because no one knows about them. No matter the quality of your services, people will not come through your door if they are not aware of your practice.
Ignoring Career Development
Career development is vital for people in all industries, but especially for medical field practitioners. As a new chiropractor, you need to continue your professional growth beyond the classroom.
Not Attending Networking Opportunities
You should must attend all networking opportunities. Without these curated events, you will not meet professional contacts who can help you in your career. The more you put yourself out there, the better your chances of finding new job positions and hiring high-quality staff will be.
Forgetting To Use Insurance
Chiropractic malpractice insurance is a must. Without this protection, you could be in for a world of trouble should a claim come across your desk. Safeguard the future of your career with an insurance policy that fits your scope of practice and the level of risk of your field.
Knowing these common mistakes new chiropractors will make can keep you out of trouble in the first months and years of practicing. No matter your career trajectory, our team at Baxter & Associates is here to help you find insurance that fits your needs.
Insurance is a form of risk protection that people secure for all aspects of their lives—including their professional lives. It’s not everyone’s first instinct to seek professional liability insurance, though it works in risky situations. Doctors, small business owners, and even insurance agents themselves should all have an errors and omissions policy that covers their assets if they make a mistake while providing their services. These are the reasons why E&O insurance is important.
Mistakes Are Inevitable
We’re all prone to make a mistake or two in our professional line of work. A surgeon’s hand could slip during surgery and cause a damaging complication. A shop owner could forget to display slippery floor signage and receive a hefty lawsuit. An insurance adjuster could absentmindedly forget to render their complete services to a client who then takes them to court. The fact is that anyone could make an error in their business practice that leads to legal consequences. Errors and omissions insurance protects your career or business from irreparable financial or legal harm.
Lawsuits Are Expensive
Battling angry clients in court is expensive. Lawyer fees, court costs, and administrative bills add up—and that doesn’t even include the possible payout if you lose the case. Insurance is the most affordable route to go. An insurance company will cover these costs to varying degrees depending on your insurance type. Don’t leave yourself without support when facing financial ruin and legal agony; find an insurance policy that will cover your needs before something catastrophic occurs.
Careers Are Precious
Your professional career needs careful development and nurturing to grow and flourish; a career is vital to living a complete and whole life. Your professional life is precious to you, and you don’t want a misunderstanding with a customer or a lapse in attention to ruin your years-long effort. Errors and omissions insurance is the only surefire way to protect your career from ruinous consequences.
Knowing the reasons why E&O insurance is important can help you make the most of your career. For example, if you work in insurance, you should obtain an insurance agent’s errors and omissions insurance policy to protect your professional life for years to come. Have any more questions about E&O? Reach out to our team at Baxter & Associates today and speak with one of our insurance professionals today.
It can be challenging to figure out how to grow in your field, but you came to the right place. Whether it’s looking for further certifications or getting involved with a professional organization, we have all the best tips for advancing your nurse practitioner career. Take the next step and increase your ability to help your patients!
Focus on Education
More opportunities present themselves if you have more credentials to prove your abilities. Perhaps you are in school or working in a hospital; no matter what stage of the process you are in, consider taking online extension courses to expand your knowledge. Specific certifications will also help if you want to work in a particular nurse practitioner field, like family practice, psychiatry, dermatology or pediatrics.
Aside from how this continued education looks on a resumé, it also keeps you updated in the ever-changing world of medicine. Stay on top of new information and make sure you are always using best practices. If you are the only person who knows a newly implemented technique, people will take notice.
Many of these courses and certifications will come with a price tag, and you should be conscious of that. Investing in your education is one thing, but ensure you watch your wallet. You can advance your career without going into debt.
Join a Professional Organization
Nurse Practitioner organizations work as a form of networking, in which you can connect with other nurse practitioner who have similar interests and specialties. You can form lasting bonds with these colleagues and help each other professionally. An organization like this could furthermore provide you with discounts on certain educational courses, allowing you to grow more while saving money.
Joining a professional nurse practitioner organization can also grant you access to experts you ordinarily would not get. The opportunity to network with leaders in your field can be an invaluable asset for furthering your career goals. Reach out and speak with anyone who you look up to. If they are interested, one of those leaders could even become your mentor and assist you more personally.
There are many types of nurse practitioner organizations; get involved with one that matches your specific occupational dreams. You might even find yourself drawn to leadership in the organization itself, which can turn into a platform for influencing policy. If you think something could be done better, don’t be afraid to speak up. Leading the charge on an issue that changes the game can only be a good thing.
Find a Mentor
Finding the right person to mentor you can be a real challenge, and it’s not something that can come about without significant time spent in the field. Remember, a good mentor-mentee relationship goes both ways. Once you’ve found that person with whom you share rapport, let them guide you through your training and to the next level. They’ve made it, and so can you.
Remember to talk to your mentor about the highs and lows of whichever field you’re interested in— once your relationship is established, of course. A mentor with significant experience will know why the job is great and why it is challenging. You can prepare yourself for the hurdles ahead by having candid conversations with your mentor.
Networking Is Key
Networking extends beyond joining a nurse practitioner organization or finding a mentor, although those are significant first steps. Networking events are a sure way to find other people in your field who are as motivated as you are. Conferences are another opportunity for you to hear from experts and meet new people, and you can find them in any major city.
Don’t overthink networking, either. It may sound like a complex task or a scary word, but it can be as simple as giving a new colleague your contact information. It’s all about building a group of people you can go to with ideas or questions about the world of healthcare.
Ensure You’re Insured
When you’re working to get established as a professional nurse practitioner, the last thing you need is a malpractice lawsuit. Through no fault of your own, you can find yourself involved in a malpractice suit, and that can seriously impact your career and your life. More and more, nurse practitioners are being pulled into these lawsuits whether or not they hold any responsibility in the case.
Many nurse practitioners don’t realize their employer’s insurance plan includes gaps in coverage. If your malpractice case falls into one of these gaps, your employer could refuse to cover you. Consider acquiring a malpractice insurance plan for nurse practitioners. to ensure you’re covered and avoid unnecessary hindrances to your career. Family members of your patients can easily misplace their frustrations, so there is no shame in protecting yourself, just in case.
Time Management
There is so much that goes into being a great nurse practitioner that you might find yourself feeling overwhelmed. This is nothing to be ashamed of, and it is entirely fixable. Make sure you are allowing for a healthy work/life balance to avoid the possibility of burnout. With online courses, networking, and staying involved in your organization, you might find it difficult to take time to breathe.
Finding that time is crucial. Take your breaks throughout the day and leave the work at work. You know better than anyone that tensions can run high in hospital settings. The family members of your patient are coping with intense stress, and it can be easy to forget you are a human being, too. In those moments, practice controlled breathing and remind yourself their anger is not personal.
You can’t take care of your patients if you aren’t taking care of yourself. Proper sleeping and eating habits are a priority, and you might want to give therapy some serious thought. Stress can easily build to a breaking point in this field, so be aware of that and take steps to avoid it. Healthcare, more than almost any other career, requires both personal and professional competency to be effective.
There are so many tips for advancing your nurse practitioner career, but they are all critically important. Use your time wisely, and you can take yourself anywhere. Just remember to better yourself first, and the career advancements will follow.
Professional dentistry is an intricate area of expertise, and there are several different aspects to it that many might not realize. From general care to more complex surgeries, it takes varying levels of experience and skill to complete these tasks. As such, several kinds of dentists correspond to these roles. This is a complete guide to the different types of dentists and the techniques in which they specialize.
General Dentists
The most common type of dental professional, general dentists, are the individuals that patients will see on a routine basis. They handle standard care, such as cleanings and teeth exams. General dentists can also perform emergency procedures, tooth fillings, crowns, and repairs.
Pediatric Dentists
While like general dentists, pediatric dentists are different in that they know how to work with children. Since the dental office is a nerve-wracking place for younger kids, it takes a bit more patience and care to keep these patients calm. Pediatric dentists have specialized training in working with kids and performing preventative treatments, like tooth sealants and fluoride applications.
Orthodontists
Orthodontists, then, are specialists that deal with the overall structure of an individual’s teeth. Upon examining how a person’s teeth align, they perform specific treatments to correct these inconsistencies. This often means the use of braces, aligners, and palate expanders to completely change the look and functionality of the teeth.
Endodontists
Endodontists, on the other hand, work with the tissues inside of the teeth themselves. This collection of nerves and pulp can sustain trauma from cavities and other tooth conditions. As such, it’s the responsibility of the endodontist to perform root canals to ease the infection. They can also remove the root entirely, if needed, with a procedure called an apicoectomy.
Periodontists
With the teeth and their internal tissues taken care of, an individual may see a periodontist to care for the rest of their gums. These professionals primarily focus on the treatment and prevention of gum disease. This may include skin grafting procedures and working with general dentists to create customized treatment plans for patients.
Oral Surgeon
Another different type of dentist to know of is the oral surgeon. Although they’re best-known for performing wisdom-tooth extractions, they deal with any complex oral surgery. Some examples include correcting misaligned jaws, repairing facial trauma following an injury, and taking oral biopsies to look for cancer.
Prosthodontists
Lastly, prosthodontists craft prosthetics to take the place of a patient’s broken or damaged teeth. These replacements work for both improving the appearance of a person’s smile and efficiently chewing food. So, these professionals work closely with other areas of dentistry as well—such as orthodontists and oral surgeons.
Regardless of what kind of dentistry you pursue, there’s always some risk—both to yourself and your patients. At Baxter & Associates, we provide premium medical malpractice insurance for dentists to protect you from potential damages. Reach out to us today to learn more about how we can support you and your practice.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists take on many responsibilities during a patient’s time at a medical facility—crucially, they deal with the patient’s anesthetics. Because anesthesia is a delicate practice, CRNAs must perform their medical duties in the most professional and tactful fashion. Here are a few of the best risk management tips for CRNAs.
Report All Incidents
The first tip relates to honesty. If your office has a legal department or if you have CRNA malpractice insurance, you should report incidents when they happen. Even if nothing comes of the report and the patient doesn’t pursue legal charges, all parties connected to you and your practice should know.
Educate Yourself
Medicine changes fast and new drugs, procedures, and tests are available each year. As a professional in the sciences, you must stay up to date. You could have access to new anesthetics that you could administer or new testing methods that improve your ability to care for patients. You should also keep up with the change in medical law, specifically the scope of authority the state grants you in your practice. Understanding these nuances can help you mitigate risks.
Manage Consent Forms
Patient consent is vital to successful treatment. Don’t dismiss patients or forget to explain the details of an operation. Always have patients sign consent forms before performing any treatment or procedures and be sure to inform them of other options and alternative methods. The last thing you want to do is to give an anesthetic or assist in a procedure which the patient doesn’t want or can’t fully understand.
Knowing these risk management tips for CRNAs will help you make the most of your career. You’re in it for the long haul, so find the right insurance coverage to secure your future. Give us a call at Baxter & Associates today to find the right CRNA malpractice insurance for you.
The legal process involves painstaking attention to detail as it unfolds over a considerable amount of time. Here are all the stages of a medical malpractice case.
Before the Case
While lawsuits take time to develop, organize, and present, they all start somewhere. The first stages of a medical malpractice case begin far before it even becomes a case.
The Malpractice Incident
Every case comes from some precipitating incident. In medical malpractice cases, these incidents involve an act of malpractice toward a patient while under a physician’s care. Physicians are not the only medical professionals who are at risk for a malpractice lawsuit. CRNAs, dentists, PAs, chiropractors, and podiatrists—all of these medical professionals and more could become involved in a malpractice case. This occurs because of the direct contact with a patient.
Any time you interact with or treat a person under your care, you perform a medical service that could harm them if done improperly. Though it may sound a bit apocalyptic, no medical professional is safe from malpractice claims because the services they provide deal with life and death situations. Healing is a tricky business, and one that few know how to perform well—that is why your patient chose your services in the first place. They feel entitled to press malpractice charges because they feel that their treatment did not match their expected care standard.
Insurers and Lawyers
When a patient files a claim, you will receive a notice from the patient and their attorney. This legal document notifies you of their intention and details the incident in question. At this point, you will need to contact your insurer and figure out a plan moving forward. If you don’t have malpractice insurance for healthcare professionals, our team at Baxter & Associates may be able to help.
During the discussion with an insurance agent, you will figure out the financial and legal responsibilities you bear in the situation. Your insurer may also help you find legal counsel whose cost fits within the parameters of your policy. A lawyer will then take over the day-to-day tasks concerning the case.
Consultation With a Lawyer
A lawyer can only work with what they know, so you must set up an initial consultation. In this conversation, you must relay all you can remember about the incident. You should bring along copies of the medical records for the patient’s visit and the lawsuit notice.
Before the consultation, you should set aside time to recall and record all you can remember about the incident. What treatment did you provide? Who was in the room with you? How did the patient interact with you, and what did they say? What kind of follow-up did you perform? You must interrogate yourself and come up with as much detail as possible. Only with all this information in hand can a lawyer make the best decisions going forward.
Research and Preparation
The next activities after you consult with your lawyer have to do with research and preparation. Both sides of the case must coordinate and share relevant information.
Investigation
While the initial consultation allows you to share all relevant information and details with your lawyer, it does not fully encompass the situation. There will be more data to gather and testimonies to hear. So, your lawyer will embark on a journey of investigation, turning over every stone and collecting all relevant information. Throughout the investigation process, your attorney may ask for more documents from you, so prepare yourself for any incoming requests.
Discovery
Discovery is an interesting part of the legal process. Both sides of the case need information that only the other party holds. Discovery is the unique opportunity for a transfer of relevant information to bolster their case and deepen their understanding of past events. The plaintiff and defendant will request documents from each other during this time.
The Deposition
Discovery involves more than trading hard copies of records. There is also a meeting where each party cross-examines the other. As the medical professional, you will attend a deposition where the plaintiff’s lawyers will question you under oath. The plaintiff will not be there, just their lawyers. The same thing will happen for the plaintiff, so your lawyers can better understand the patient’s situation. You must answer the lawyer’s questions about the treatment, errors, and issues that arose during the past event.
Meetings and Decisions
The last stages of medical malpractice cases have to do with meetings in offices and courtrooms. The culmination of these conversations will lead to final decisions and a closed case.
Negotiations
After both sides have the information they need from each other, the case can move one step closer to resolution. One of the most critical steps is negotiation. You and your attorney will decide on reasonable compensation that matches the patient’s claim, typically in the form of a financial settlement. The plaintiff will explain their number and expectations, giving you the chance to negotiate in return.
At this point, you have two options. On the one hand, you can accept their offer or the number you agreed upon and settle the case right then and there. On the other hand, you may believe the plaintiff is asking for an unreasonable amount, and you might choose not to budge. In this case, your suit would go to trial.
Trial
If your case goes to trial, you leave the fate of your case in the hands of a jury. The trial will include presentations and arguments before a jury of your peers. The lawyers will hash out their thoughts while pulling witnesses and experts in to testify. Should the jury decide the plaintiff deserves compensation, you must award money damages to the other party.
Knowing the stages of a medical malpractice case can help you better prepare yourself for your malpractice lawsuit. Though every medical professional works in a slightly different capacity, it never hurts to have protection from financial and vocational risks. If you need medical malpractice insurance, reach out to us at Baxter & Associates. Our team is ready and available to answer any questions you have about malpractice insurance and malpractice cases.
Medical professionals study and work for years to enter the prime of their careers. But what happens when something goes wrong with a patient? A physician could lose financial security and their reputation. That’s where insurance policies come in—they provide financial and legal support. Here are the benefits of occurrence insurance.
Long-Term Protection
The two main kinds of malpractice insurance are occurrence and claims-made policies. Occurrence insurance offers several unique benefits. One of the most considerable upsides to an occurrence policy is long-term protection. Under the terms of a typical occurrence policy, medical professionals maintain coverage for past events taking place during their policy. Even if they no longer pay for the policy or switch insurance providers, they will have coverage. This protection is especially helpful when a patient waits several months or years to file a claim and the physician no longer has that specific policy.
Fixed Premiums
While the cost of a premium depends on the insurance company agency, medical professionals can expect their premiums to stay the same if they purchase an occurrence policy. Sometimes, premiums increase or decrease based on external factors that policyholders can’t control. However, occurrence policies are different, and the monthly payments won’t change as long as the risk profile for the medical professional doesn’t change—such as a change in location, job, or role. For example, a chiropractor who decides to move states and start their own practice will need a new policy. But if they have an occurrence policy like our chiropractic malpractice insurance at Baxter & Associates, they won’t have to worry as they make their career change.
Simpler Transition
Since an occurrence policy covers policyholders long after they stop paying for coverage, it’s much easier for professionals to move to a new state or start a new job where they need a new policy. During such transitions, someone with a claims-made policy would need to purchase tail coverage in addition to their current policy if they want total coverage.
Knowing the benefits of occurrence insurance helps medical professionals in all fields feel safer. No one wants to take on unnecessary risk. Reach out to us at Baxter & Associates today for more information.
Error and omissions insurance sounds like an ominous policy to take out. What even is it, and why would you need this kind of coverage? Well, here is a quick guide to understanding error and omissions insurance.
What Is Error and Omissions Insurance?
Every business relies on human ingenuity and drive. However, that same human presence can also be the downfall of an organization. We all make mistakes, errors, and omissions in our work accidentally. Error and omissions insurance, or E&O insurance for short, covers many of our common oversights.
Suppose you neglected treatment with a patient, incorrectly audited someone’s financials, or misrepresented your client—all these situations would require an E&O policy to protect the business that made a mistake.
Why Do You Need It?
Imagine each of the scenarios above happening in your workplace. For example, if you gave inaccurate financial advice to a client who trusted you, there could be devastating ramifications in their portfolio. Should your direct oversight or negligence lead to a client’s suffering, they could file a claim.
In the event that a patient or client files a claim, you will want an insurance policy to provide legal support and financial cushioning. If the claim falls within the parameters of your policy, you will have the full support of an entire agency behind you.
Who Should Get an E&O Policy?
What do lawyers, doctors, business owners, insurance agents, and accountants all have in common? High-stakes financial and professional relationships with their customers. If you wonder whether you need error and omissions insurance, you should look into it more.
For example, if you are an insurance agent, you should definitely get an insurance agent’s errors and omissions insurance policy. This policy will protect you from the legal consequences of data breaches, vicarious liability, and negligence claims.
Understanding error and omissions insurance can take time and leave you with many unanswered questions. If you have further inquiries into E&O insurance, reach out to us at Baxter & Associates today. We can help you find the coverage you need.
When you spend your time working on people’s teeth every day, you’re likely to make a mistake or make someone uncomfortable at some point. Here are the most common malpractice claims in dentistry you should know.
Failure To Diagnose Oral Diseases
As a medical professional, you have the skills and desire to help and heal people of their ailments. But as a dentist, you encounter a vast array of oral diseases that most doctors don’t see very often. People look to their dentist for expertise on these types of illnesses. Suppose a dentist fails to see, test, or address an oral disease they see in a patient’s mouth. If that same patient later finds out they have a serious disease or cancer of the mouth, you could face accusations of negligence. To avoid this, make every effort to test and examine suspect variances in people’s mouths. If it gives you pause, don’t ignore the problem—look for a solution.
Improper Teeth Pulling
Tooth decay, impaction, gum disease—people need their teeth pulled for all kinds of reasons. Patients come to their dentist seeking treatment, hoping to eliminate the problem. But pulling teeth is no simple job, especially if you encounter disease-related complications. If you cause further harm to a patient or even extract the wrong tooth, you could permanently damage a patient’s mouth beyond repair. After all, adult teeth can’t grow back. If a dentist pulls a tooth improperly, they could have a malpractice claim on their hands.
Dental Anesthesia Complications
Dentists who administer anesthesia, even in small doses, can harm patients if they experience complications. An adverse reaction or unmonitored symptom could lead to severe consequences, including patient death. You must use anesthesia with the utmost caution and care. If a patient or their loved one comes to harm due to dental anesthesia complications, they could hold you responsible.
Knowing the most common malpractice claims in dentistry can help you prepare for the worst. If you don’t already have coverage, our medical malpractice insurance for dentists at Baxter & Associates can provide the protection you need.
