Malpractice insurance for Surgeons

Comprehensive insurance is critical for surgeons to protect their practice and ensure peace of mind. Medical malpractice insurance is essential, covering legal defense costs, settlements, and judgments arising from allegations of negligence or errors during surgery.

General liability insurance provides additional protection against incidents such as injuries occurring in the office or operating room environment, while cyber liability insurance safeguards sensitive patient data against breaches.

Many hospitals and regulatory boards also require surgeons to carry specific types of insurance to maintain privileges and licensure. By securing robust coverage, surgeons can focus on delivering exceptional care to their patients, knowing they are protected against the financial and legal challenges that may arise in their demanding profession.

Malpractice Insurance for Surgeons can include:

Covers elective and emergent surgical procedures in hospital or outpatient settings.
Protection against surgical error, post-op infection, bleeding, or anesthesia complications.
Includes staff coverage for surgical assistants, nurses, and anesthesiologists.
Optional coverage for office-based procedures and ambulatory surgical center work.
Defense for credentialing, supervision, and equipment liability claims.
Limits up to $1M per claim / $3M aggregate.

More information

why do surgeons need insurance?

Surgeons face a unique set of challenges and high stakes in their profession, making malpractice or liability insurance essential. The nature of surgical work, involving invasive procedures to diagnose, treat, or manage various health conditions, inherently carries significant risks of complications and adverse outcomes. Here are key areas where surgeons are vulnerable to being sued for malpractice:

Surgical Errors: This includes errors made during surgery, such as operating on the wrong site (wrong-site surgery), leaving surgical instruments or materials inside the patient, or performing the wrong procedure. These errors can lead to severe patient harm and are among the most direct causes of malpractice suits against surgeons.
Postoperative Complications: Complications arising after surgery, such as infections, bleeding, or unexpected adverse reactions, can sometimes be linked to the surgeon’s actions during or after the procedure. While not all complications are preventable, failure to adequately manage or respond to these outcomes can result in claims of negligence.
Failure to Obtain Informed Consent: Surgeons must ensure that patients are fully informed about the risks, benefits, and alternatives to the proposed surgical intervention. Failure to obtain proper informed consent can lead to legal action if patients suffer adverse outcomes they were not adequately warned about.
Diagnostic Errors: While primarily associated with pre-surgical care, errors in diagnosing a patient’s condition can lead to unnecessary or incorrect surgical interventions, potentially causing harm and opening the surgeon to liability.
Failure to Monitor Postoperative Care: Surgeons are responsible for postoperative management or must ensure proper handoff to other care providers. Negligence in monitoring a patient’s recovery or failing to recognize postoperative complications promptly can lead to worsened outcomes and potential lawsuits.
Communication Failures: Miscommunication with the surgical team, other healthcare providers, or the patient can lead to errors in the surgical procedure or postoperative care, impacting patient safety and outcomes.
Anesthesia Complications: Although anesthesiologists or nurse anesthetists typically manage anesthesia, surgeons play a role in preoperative assessments and monitoring. Complications related to anesthesia, if not properly anticipated or managed, can lead to patient harm and implicate the surgical team in malpractice claims.

Malpractice or liability insurance provides financial protection against claims of negligence or malpractice, covering legal defense costs, settlements, and judgments. For surgeons, this insurance is crucial for mitigating the financial and professional risks associated with the complex and high-risk nature of surgical care.

Westwood Insurance work with a number of different carriers to source the most suitable insurance for surgeons at the best price. Contact us today.

Additional Resources

This general surgeon policy can provide broad and customizable malpractice coverage to support solo, group, and hospital-affiliated surgical providers.
Protection for major surgical procedures involving the abdomen, thorax, head/neck, soft tissue, or skeletal system.
Defense against complications such as bleeding, retained instruments, infection, and anesthesia error.
Legal protection for credentialing disputes, supervision of residents or PAs, and procedural consent.
Optional endorsements for robotic surgery, laparoscopic techniques, or outpatient surgery centers.
Staff liability for scrub techs, RN first assists, CRNAs, and operating room teams.
Inclusion of incident reporting support and prior acts coverage (retro date).
Policies are offered with limits up to $1M/$3M, flexible deductibles, tail coverage, and entity coverage for incorporated practices or surgical centers.