Entity malpractice coverage is similar to your basic malpractice insurance. However, it expands the coverage to include your business entity. To ensure you are protected should someone name your entity as part of their malpractice claim against you, you need an entity policy to cover the fees associated with that portion of the claim. This is important coverage because even if you are not personally found liable for wrongdoing in a malpractice lawsuit, your practice can still be held responsible for damages.

Why does this matter?

Well, it could be required for you to get licensed — and it protects your career and practice’s future.

Malpractice suits are likely more common than you imagine. In fact, Sara Charles, an MD Physician with the Litigation Stress Resource Center, said that there were 16,337 instances of medical malpractice payments between 2006-2017 out of the 19,755 working dentists. Yikes!

Join us to explore 10 metrics that matter when selecting a provider and other important information about Professional Liability Insurance.

Statistic via Dental Professional Liability Claim Report: 2nd Edition

- CNA Healthcare Underwriting & Dentist’s Advantage, 2021

1. The average total incurred for dental closed claims with paid indemnity from $10,000 to $1,000,000 increased 24 .1 percent in the 2020 claim dataset ($134,497) from the 2016 claim dataset ($108,398).
2. The percentage of claims with paid indemnity from $250,000 to $750,000 has almost doubled since the 2016 claim dataset.
3. The average total incurred for claims asserted against general practitioners has increased by 30.5 percent since the 2016 claim dataset and by 26.6 percent for all other specialists, excluding oral surgeons.
4. The percentage of claims associated with an allegation of inadequate precautions to prevent injury (inadequate precautions) has increased to 20.5 percent of claims from 11.7 percent in the 2016 claim dataset.
5. Claims associated with nerve injury have increased as a percentage of all claims and the average total incurred has risen by 43.6 percent to $210,568.
6. The average total incurred for claims associated with infection has increased significantly by 70.9 percent.
7. Each of the top three injuries associated with surgical extraction resulted in an average total incurred greater than $200,000.
8. Incidents of swallowed-aspirated objects and wrong tooth treatment – considered to be two of dentistry’s “never events” – have increased in frequency and continue to be an important patient safety concern.
9. The total paid expense for license protection matters increased by 18.7 percent.
10. License protection matters associated with documentation error or omission resulted in board action in 59.7 percent of complaints. Allegations of medication administration/prescribing resulted in board action in 50.9 percent of the complaints, and professional conduct in 32.8 percent.

Having malpractice insurance is the very first step. You should also be careful in choosing which company you should work with. Your Professional Liability Insurance and Malpractice Insurance coverage should be strong as the company providing it!

Done Desk helps you predict where risks may arise and actively work with you to select insurance programs that will take care of your practice! Interested in learning more?