Professional Indemnity Insurance policy protects an individual from any third-party liability arising due to any mistake or decision made by the individual, working as a service provider in his/her professional capacity, that may have not gone down well with the party receiving the service.
In certain professions like medical services, even a single mistake can lead to a big loss to the patient and their family. In some cases, the people in medical professions have even been falsely accused of errors, forcing them to lose their reputation and suffer a personal financial setback.
According to a recently published study, legal cases accusing doctors of negligence have seen a rise of 400% in the Supreme Court. Although, according to reports, only about 10- 15% of the cases have seen doctors being found guilty, the remaining 85% medicos nonetheless had to incur the cost of defending themselves.
Given the vulnerability of such professions; the insurers offer professional indemnity insurance cover to these professionals. The basic advantage of availing this policy is that it saves the professional from bearing the liability personally through his savings and gives him the power to fight in case the alleger goes to the court.
This policy can be availed of by professionals (doctors, consultants, architects, lawyers and software engineers, etc.) who are providing their services independently or under an organization (private, partnership or public companies like hospitals, consultancy agencies, IT companies, BPOs, etc.). The organizations may even be involved in providing services with the help of a large staff team working for them. Accordingly, this policy comes as an individual or a group cover.
Why should the indemnity cover be availed by both organizations and the independent professionals?
1. Legal & Financial Protection
Individual:
- The errors and omissions insurance protects the individual by covering any legal expenses arising due to third-party liability like court fees, out of court settlement, payment of compensation and other such expenses.
- It covers the insured professional for any error committed by him that may not involve willful neglect and is caused by unplanned errors and omissions.
Organisation:
- The expenses covered by the policy remain the same. But, for an organization; a single mistake done can harm its business and affect a larger number of employees than just the one who may have committed the error.
- It is necessary to become free of any financial or legal third-party liability sooner from an organization’s point of view.
2. Retroactive Claims Applicable to Previous Employees
Independent professional:
- In case there is a third-party claim referring to any error done by an independent professional before availing the policy cover, it is also covered.
- For example, suppose legal advice given by a consultant led the third-party to lose its case in court, and consequently the advisor is blamed for it. Even if the advice was given before availing the errors and omissions insurance, the policy may cover the claim if it satisfies the terms laid down in the policy.
Organisation:
- This policy is beneficial to organizations in case liability arises due to errors made by a previous employee/s.
3. Correct Estimation of The Liability
Independent Professional:
- In some cases, the liability may be very large, and it might not be possible to calculate it correctly in the absence of insurance.
- For an individual, such a situation may become unpleasant as he may become bankrupt and might have to pay the compensation by selling off his valuable personal assets.
Organisation:
- Such a situation can pose a threat to the company’s business and reputation in the market.
- Even if it can muster up financial backup, it will not be able to function efficiently as some of its financial resources will be lost in compensation or court cases.
4. Safeguarding the Reputation
Independent professional and organization:
A professional indemnity insurance policy plays an important role in safeguarding the reputation of the insured professional or organization. It is evident that even in case an error has been committed involuntarily, it is often looked down upon by the public. Professions like the medical services do not have the scope for error as it is the question of life and death of a patient.
Such professionals and the people involved with them are doubly affected due to any error in their job. Irrespective of whether the practitioner is working independently or in a company, his reputation bears the brunt of it. In case he/she is working in an organization, his involuntary mistake also deteriorates and affects the company’s business.
5. Other Extensions
Independent professionals and organizations:
The policy is not limited to safeguarding one from small domestic third-party liabilities. Extensions can be purchased to cover litigation overseas as well, by foreign clients and customers of the insured. An emergency cover can be purchased for such cases that will provide the money to the organization or individual professional on short notice.
Buying professional indemnity insurance can be a mind boggling task as the customer service environment is constantly evolving. You need to be future ready when it comes to reinforcing your consumer satisfaction quotient and Professional Indemnity forms a backup for such preparation. SecureNow can act as your partner in such situations, from creating your backup plan to executing and managing it and safeguarding your services from the unforeseeable consequences of error of judgement.
About The Author
Amit
MBA Finance
Amit is an experienced insurance professional with 7 years in the industry, specializing in Errors & Omissions Insurance. Writing for SecureNow, he provides clear and insightful blogs and articles to help professionals understand the importance and nuances of E&O coverage. His expertise ensures that readers receive practical advice on protecting themselves from potential liabilities and professional risks. Dedicated to making complex insurance topics accessible, Amit stays updated on industry developments, delivering valuable content that empowers professionals to make informed decisions about their E&O insurance needs.
