Paramedic Malpractice Insurance

Paramedics have important careers, and their daily duties include helping and transporting injured people. If you’re one of them, you know how tough the job can be. Paramedics are constantly working in emergency situations that are stressful and fast-changing, where speed can mean the difference between life and death.

When mistakes happen, regardless of whether they’re your fault or a patient wrongly believes you were negligent during their transport, you can find yourself on the wrong end of a lawsuit. Even giving medical advice to a friend or assisting someone while off duty can leave you exposed to litigation.

Just one lawsuit can be devastating to your financial well-being, so finding the right paramedic insurance is crucial. Fortunately, a local independent insurance agent can help determine what coverages you should carry to ensure you’re fully protected as you perform your duties as a paramedic. But first, here's a closer look at paramedic insurance, what it covers, and why it's necessary.

Why Do Paramedics and EMTs Need Insurance?

No matter how careful you are, all paramedics and EMTs are at risk of an occasional mistake. EMTs, paramedics, and other healthcare professionals need professional liability insurance to protect themselves from mistakes or negligence that could result in financial loss.

There are several types of professional liability insurance products, but medical malpractice insurance is usually the most common choice for paramedic insurance. These policies protect against professional errors and omissions that could occur on the job.

Paramedic malpractice insurance offers liability protection against mistakes or negligence that result in harm, including bodily injury, medical expenses, and even claims of mental anguish or pain and suffering. It can also cover the cost of your legal defense if you’re sued. In fact, for the majority of medical malpractice claims, defense costs are the biggest expense.

How Does Medical Malpractice Insurance Protect Paramedics and EMTs?

Say you offer ambulance services for injured and sick individuals. If there's an incident during transportation that leads to harm to the individual, you might be sued. If a lawsuit results in a judgment against you or a settlement, a medical malpractice policy may cover those costs up to the policy limits. This protection can be a financial lifesaver, as damages can easily run into hundreds of thousands in a major lawsuit.

There are two different types of medical malpractice insurance policies to be aware of:

• Claims-made medical malpractice insurance: A claims-made policy responds if the policy was in effect at the time a claim was made against you.
• Occurrence medical malpractice insurance: An occurrence policy can pay for an incident that happens while the policy is in force, even if the claim isn’t made or the lawsuit isn’t filed until after the policy has expired.

An independent insurance agent can help you better understand which type of EMT malpractice insurance is right for you. Your agent can help you find affordable coverage from a trusted insurance provider and even assist you with completing an online application for coverage.

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Liability Exposures for Paramedics and EMTs

Paramedics, EMTs, and other medical technicians are at constant risk of liability issues arising. On any given day, a paramedic or EMT may perform any or all of the following procedures:

Unfortunately, all of these duties leave plenty of room for possible mistakes or negligence, which can lead to a lawsuit. Here are just a few things that may go wrong:

The loading and unloading of patients is a common reason for paramedic malpractice claims. Regardless of whether the patient slips off the gurney and breaks a bone or a back injury is made worse due to the jostling of the gurney, you could end up being sued.

It's not just mistakes that medical professionals have to worry about. Even if you do everything right, sometimes patients aren’t satisfied with the outcome or feel you were negligent in some way. Even if the claim isn’t valid, legal costs can quickly add up. A paramedic insurance policy can protect you and help cover the cost of your legal defense as well as judgments or settlements.

What Does Paramedic Insurance Cover?

Paramedics, EMTs, and medical or health business owners often need more types of coverage than just medical malpractice or professional liability. Look for a policy that includes the following:

• Medical malpractice insurance: This is a critical type of professional liability insurance that can protect paramedics and EMTs from financial losses caused by errors, omissions, and negligence on the job, including lawsuit expenses. This coverage can also protect against third-party claims of sexual misconduct.
• General liability insurance: This is another form of liability protection that can help pay for costs associated with third-party claims of bodily injury or personal property damage, including lawsuit expenses.
• Commercial property insurance: This coverage can help reimburse you for repairs or replacements for business property that's stolen, lost, damaged, or destroyed by fire, vandalism, and more.
• Inland marine insurance: This coverage can help protect against losses to any business property that's transported in ambulances and other company vehicles.
• Commercial auto insurance: This coverage can protect ambulances and other vehicles used for professional medical services against losses due to theft, vandalism, accidents, lawsuits, and more.
• Business owners policy (BOP) insurance: This convenient package policy provides general liability insurance, business interruption coverage, and commercial property coverage.
• Workers' compensation insurance: This coverage can help reimburse employees for the cost of medical treatment, rehabilitation, lost wages, and more after a covered work-related injury or illness.
• Cyber liability insurance: This coverage can reimburse medical professionals for losses related to data breaches and cyberattacks. Those who perform telehealth and telemedicine or otherwise face the risk of HIPAA data breaches can greatly benefit from this coverage.

An independent insurance agent can help you find a paramedic insurance policy from a trusted insurance company. Your agent can also help you choose your deductible amounts and coverage limits.

How Much Does Paramedic Insurance Cost?

The cost of EMT or paramedic insurance can vary depending on a number of factors. Independent contractors often pay much less for their coverage than large businesses do. Some factors that may influence the cost of EMT and paramedic insurance include:

• Location
• Years of experience
• Types and amounts of coverage needed
• Healthcare services offered
• Medical equipment and commercial property

Your policy's premium rates may depend on all of these factors and more. An independent insurance agent can help you find affordable paramedic malpractice insurance near you.

Save on Professional Liability Insurance

Our independent agents shop around to find you the best coverage.

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An Independent Insurance Agent Can Help You Find the Right Paramedic Liability Insurance

When it comes to finding the right medical malpractice insurance for the job, no one's better equipped to help than a local independent insurance agent. These agents have access to multiple insurance companies, so they're free to shop and compare coverage options and policy premium rates for you. Ultimately, they'll get you matched to a policy that offers the best overall blend of coverage and cost. And down the road, your agent can help file claims for you and update your coverage as necessary.