Are you a general dentist wanting to protect your assets?
Many dentists don’t even know what their insurance covers and won’t need protection against it.
So whenever you find a policy that seems great, it’s smart to check the dental liability insurance coverage to ensure this policy covers what you need.
Here’s what to look for when shopping around for a great policy.
Table of Contents
Understanding the Scope of Dental General Liability Insurance
Dental General Liability Insurance provides coverage to dentists for professional negligence and other liabilities stemming from the rendering of dental services. This kind of insurance is important for reducing the dentist’s risk of legal liability for any damages, including patient injury or property damage, that may occur as a result of dental treatments.
Dental General Liability Insurance also covers financial losses due to wrongful acts, including libel and slander. The coverage may include medical expenses, court costs, and other damages, such as compensation for the patient’s suffering.
In certain cases, the insurance may even cover losses due to the dentist’s failure to diagnose a condition or injury. It is important to understand the scope of coverage of each policy and the types of damages that may be covered. The scope of coverage also may vary between policies and providers, so it is important to understand what is covered and what is not.
What Types of Risks are Covered?
Dental practice insurance covers damages in the event of death, bodily injury, property damage, or personal or advertising injury caused by the practice. It helps cover costs pertaining to the legal defense and damages awarded in a lawsuit, such as settlements, judgments, and medical expenses indemnity.
Liability for malpractice, slander, and defamation are also potential risks that are covered. Dental general liability insurance also typically covers claims involving a breach of contract, errors, joint venture agreements, failure to deliver products or services as promised, and financial losses resulting from third-party negligence.
Additionally, liability resulting from mechanical breakdowns, use of defective products, and improper installations is also often covered. As a result, dental general liability insurance offers a broad breadth of coverage for many of the general liability risks for most dental practices.
Understanding the Limitations of Coverage
General liability dental insurance covers third-party damages related to your practice. However, it does not cover any physical harm that may result from a dental procedure itself. This is why it is important to understand the limitations of coverage.
General liability insurance cannot cover any expenses associated with medical malpractice, intentional or negligent actions, or damages caused by errors in provided patient care. It also won’t cover patient-employee disputes or any service-related complaints.
Before considering purchasing general liability dental insurance, it’s important to understand all of the exclusions that might be associated with it and to make sure that you’re legally protected from any type of liability that your practice might face.
If you’re looking for reliable insurance, consider PolicySweet for dentists.
Learn More About Dental Liability Insurance
Dental general liability insurance covers a wide range of incidents that could occur while providing dental services. Ultimately, dental liability insurance is essential for any professional practice.
If you’re a dentist, strongly consider investing in dental general liability insurance to protect yourself, your practice, and your patients. Contact an insurance provider today and get the coverage you need.
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