Professional Liability Insurance for Toronto Opticians and Optometrists
As an optician or optometrist, you’ll need to protect yourself against medical malpractice suits. Optician liability insurance is a type of medical malpractice insurance that you will need at your Toronto eyecare clinic or eyewear business.
Professional liability insurance for Toronto opticians and optometrists provides you with financial protection if a patient claims that you caused them physical harm or financial loss due to negligence, malpractice, or errors and omissions in your services.
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What is professional liability insurance for Toronto opticians and optometrists?
Professional liability insurance for opticians and optometrists is also known as errors and omissions insurance or medical malpractice insurance. This type of insurance protects Toronto eyecare professionals from financial losses related to claims of negligence and errors such as failing to diagnose an eye condition, or mistakes in services provided.
Canadian opticians are required to have liability insurance and need to protect themselves with a customized opticians’ insurance policy. Typically, a minimum of $2 million per occurrence is required for optician liability insurance.
Professional liability insurance for opticians typically covers:
- Legal fees and court costs that are associated with defending against a lawsuit
- Settlements or judgments awarded to patients
- Damages resulting from alleged professional misconduct or failure to meet expected standards of care
- Failure to diagnose an eye condition
- Failure to dilate a pupil during an eye examination
- Failure or delay in referring to a specialist
- Improper referral
- Improper treatment of an eye condition
- No consent was obtained and documented as required before tests, procedures, and treatments
- Prescribing the wrong lenses for a patient
- Breaking the frames of a patient’s glasses
- Optometrists and opticians
- Prescription eyewear providers
- Non-Prescription eyewear providers
- Vision service providers
What types of lawsuits could Toronto eyecare professionals face:
- Failure to diagnose an eye condition
- Failure to dilate a pupil during an eye examination
- Failure or delay in referring to a specialist
- Improper referral
- Improper treatment of an eye condition
- No consent was obtained and documented as required before tests, procedures, and treatments
- Prescribing the wrong lenses for a patient
- Breaking the frames of a patient’s glasses
Optometrists and opticians insurance is recommended for:
- Optometrists and opticians
- Prescription eyewear providers
- Non-Prescription eyewear providers
- Vision service providers
Note that: Some opticians may be covered by an employer’s professional liability insurance, but your employer’s coverage may not extend to you in all circumstances. Make sure you are fully protected with professional liability insurance for all situations you may face as an eyecare professional.
What other insurance coverages do Toronto optometrists and opticians need?
Commercial general liability (CGL) insurance
CGL provides protection for third-party bodily injury or property damage claims or lawsuits related to your Toronto clinic’s activities. For example, a patient trips on your clinic’s icy steps and gets injured and then sues you. CGL will help cover their medical expenses and your legal defense fees and any court-ordered settlement against you.
Legal expense insurance
Legal expense insurance for Toronto opticians and optometrists typically helps cover the fees charged by lawyers and legal representatives while they are working on your case. It provides coverage for things such as tax, employment or contract disputes, debt recovery, and statutory license protection.
Umbrella insurance
Commercial umbrella insurance addresses liability coverage gaps in your Toronto optician’s business insurance. It’s used when the primary liability coverage, for example on your commercial general liability insurance, has reached its coverage limit.
The protection that umbrella insurance provides applies only to expenses related to liability such as legal fees, court fees, and legal settlements.
Cyber liability insurance
As a Toronto optometrist, you probably take credit card and debit payments. Cyber liability insurance will help protect your optometrist or optician business financially in case of a cyber-attack.
Depending on the size of the data breach and the information that was taken, the customers who are affected can hold you liable and sue you for damages.
Commercial property insurance
Commercial property insurance, also called business contents insurance, provides financial support for your Toronto eyecare office or clinic, its contents, furnishings, electronics, and inventory if damaged or destroyed by fire, severe weather, vandalism, or theft.
Business interruption insurance
This type of insurance supports you when your Toronto eyewear business can’t operate due to a covered loss.
There are a number of losses that can force your business to shut down. Some examples are:
- Damage to your equipment from fire or vandalism
- A major reduction in revenue due to a client/supplier facing losses of their own
- A disruption in your supply chain
Business interruption insurance can help with these expenses:
- Payroll
- Rent
- Utilities
- Property taxes
- Alarm monitoring
- Relocation of your business
How much does business insurance cost for an eyecare professional?
The cost of insurance for a Toronto optician or optometrist will depend on location, services provided, number of employees, annual revenue, experience, and any past claims.
What do I do if I have a claim against my Toronto optician business?
Contact your broker immediately after any business-related mishap. Waiting to file a claim can confuse insurers about the severity of the damages to your business.
- Know your policy so that when you contact your broker you are familiar with what will be covered or not.
- Document the damage. Take photos right away and write down what happened.
- Do not throw away damaged goods after taking photos. Keep the physical evidence so that your adjustor can see it.
- Do not invite lawsuits. Don’t say anything that could be used against you, especially if you aren’t sure what happened.
- Be honest about what your damaged property is worth. Damaged commercial property is generally valued according to its actual cash value or replacement value.
Here’s an insurance checklist:
- Do you have the best Toronto business insurance rate that suits your work?
- Do you have the right amount for your deductible and regularly review it to make sure it’s the right amount for you?
- Are you or your employees using personal vehicles for work?
Western Financial Group has licensed BUSINESS INSURANCE EXPERTS to get you the right insurance coverage for your Toronto optician or optometrist business/clinic. Our experts are available now to help you navigate the business insurance journey to protect your Toronto business.
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