What Situations Does Medical Malpractice Insurance Cover?

Even when providing the best possible care, many doctors and other health care providers can face medical malpractice lawsuits at some time during their careers. Fortunately, there is medical malpractice insurance available that will cover a variety of different types of lawsuits so that physicians are not ruined financially should they be sued. The type of coverage a doctor has depends mainly on what type of policy they purchases. These are some of the situations that medical malpractice insurance covers.

Medical Errors

If a patient claims a physician or other health care provider has made an error during their treatment, they may file a medical malpractice lawsuit. This can include an error that occurred during a surgical procedure, a medication error in which the patient's condition worsened while taking medicine prescribed by the physician or if the patient does not receive the quality of care during treatment necessary to improve their condition as expected. However, the patient must prove that these things occurred due to the negligence of the health care provider. They cannot simply sue a physician because they expected to be in perfect health after being treated.

Wrongful Death

In some situations, no matter how hard a physician works to save a patient's life, it cannot be done. This sometimes leaves a grieving family to feel that the doctor may have not done enough to save their loved one, even though they tried their best. This may lead to a medical malpractice suit filed by the family against the physician. Although, the family of the deceased patient has to prove the doctor was at fault. They must prove to the court that their loved one would have survived had it not been for the carelessness and negligence of the physician.

Childbirth Injuries

Perhaps one of the more common types of malpractice suits is one that involves a childbirth injury to either a newborn baby, a new mother, or both. Unfortunately, unexpected things can occur when least expected during childbirth. When a physician has a childbirth injury suit brought against them, they can be accused of causing the injury due to being negligent or having poor judgment during a birth. Again, the patient has the burden of proof to show that the injury would not have occurred had the physician provided proper care.

If the physician who carries medical malpractice insurance is found to be guilty in court, their insurance can pay the compensation ordered to be paid by the judge who oversees the case. However, some policies may only pay up to a certain amount and the physician may be forced to pay the remaining cost out of pocket. Medical malpractice insurance also covers other costs such as attorney fees, court costs, and any additional costs related to the case.

Contact a medical malpractice insurance agency for more information. 


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