Am I Liable For Insurance Coverage For A Worker From A Temp Agency?

For those working in the dental sector in the USA, here’s some useful advice;

If you work in the medical field, you probably know that it is very important to be fully insured. Doctors are sued all the time by patients who say they have been injured due to negligence. Sometimes medical clinics are sued due to the incompetence of staff members.

If you manage a dental office, you know that when people call in sick, it throws your office into disarray. You use temporary staff all the time and may wonder if you would be liable for insurance coverage if a negligent worker came from a temporary agency. 

According to the ADA, one of the most important things you can do is to read your contract with the temporary agency. In some cases, you will be responsible for medical malpractice insurance coverage; in other cases, the temp agency will provide this coverage. Sometimes, dental professionals will be expected to have liability insurance of their own.

What Does Malpractice Insurance Cover?

Malpractice insurance protects medical professionals against personal injury lawsuits filed by patients. A patient will typically file such a lawsuit when they believe a medical treatment has caused their injury to worsen or caused a new injury. If a person dies during treatment, their family might sue a doctor for wrongful death.

Many states have caps on the amount of non-economic damages that a person can seek in a lawsuit, but Florida does not. Although they passed a cap in 2003, it was soon overturned because opponents argued that the cap amount was arbitrary and did not address people who were seriously injured. However, Florida does have a limit on punitive damages. A person can be awarded three times the amount of their compensatory damages or $500,000, whichever is lower.

You can get an occurrence policy that will cover you against malpractice charges for dental services performed while the policy is active. It does not matter when the services were performed. 

Dental Malpractice Policy Types

According to TempMee servicing Tampa, FL, there are two different kinds of medical malpractice insurance. You can get an occurrence policy that covers you against malpractice charges for services performed while the policy is active. It does not matter when the patient filed the claim.

A claims-made policy is the other option. It mandates that the incident that caused the claim and the injury report happen while the policy is active.

What You Should Ask a Dental Temp Agency 

Whenever you contact a dental temp agency, it is essential to ask them if they insure their employees. You should then read your contract carefully and ensure that they have it in writing.

If the dental temp agency does not offer malpractice insurance, you should ask them if they require that their temps have it. If they do not require the dental professionals who work out of their office to have insurance, you may want to know if they ask a job candidate if they have malpractice insurance. The temp agency should at least know if their dental professionals have this type of insurance. 

Dental Temp Apps

Many dental offices are using dental temp apps to find staff. These workers are independent contractors, and the apps work very similarly to ride-sharing apps like Uber. You simply put an available job on the app, and anyone qualified will get an alert. If you use one of these apps, be sure to ask the dental professional if they have malpractice insurance. 

A medical malpractice lawsuit is a concern for any medical professional. You should do everything in your power to avoid one, including checking out your temps.