Why you as a doctor benefit from professional liability insurance
Unfortunately, you might be faced with patients demanding compensation from you during your medical professional life. Suppose a patient slips on the newly polished floor in your waiting room or you if you forget to remove a compress from the body of a patient. Thanks to liability insurence the victim will receive proper compensation for the damage suffered. Even if complications arise after a treatment that don't stem from a medical error or negligence, you can count on legal protection.
Who is insured?
Every medic and paramedic with their own, independent practice can take out KBC Medical and Paramedical Professions Insurance. This way, you can protect yourself, the person who is replacing you or anyone who works with you against liabilities.
What is insured under medical and paramedical professions insurance?
- The loss, damage or injury you cause others.
- Legal assistance and advice if you suffer loss or prosecution.
- Counsel's assistance for all legal disputes involving you personally in the course of your profession as a medic or paramedic (exceptions apply). Includes legal claims against you arising from acts or omissions by your staff.
If you're a doctor or paramedic and you make a mistake, that can have a serious effect on your patient. This policy covers you for your professional medical liability.
What's included
- Your medical professional liability for faults or negligence committed in the course of your professional duties.
- General third-party tort liability incurred in the exercise of your profession.
Main exclusions
- Harm caused intentionally.
- Harm that is the result of misconduct such as being drunk or vandalism.
- Deliberately carrying out unnecessary surgery or treatment.
- Disagreements in connection with fees or expenses, etc.
Legal assistance and advice if you suffer loss or are prosecuted. You may claim under the policy in the following cases.
What's included
- If you yourself suffer loss, we claim your loss back from the party who bears civil liability.
- Your defence if you're suspected of an unintentional criminal offence in the exercise of your profession. We provide assistance during court proceedings, in your criminal defence or in disciplinary proceedings.
- If you yourself cause harm, we also defend you in any civil claim joined to the prosecution proceedings.
Main exclusions
- Disputes between policyholders.
- Disputes where you are the owner, keeper or controller of a motor vehicle and trailer, aircraft, sports vehicle or sailing boat.
- Disputes involving real estate or parts thereof that you do not use in your practice.
If you'd prefer more extensive insurance, this policy is recommended. This policy covers you for all legal disputes you might be involved in in the course of your profession as a medic or paramedic, barring those that are excluded. Even in the case of legal claims against you arising from acts or omissions by your staff, we will defend your interests.
What's included
Counsel's assistance for all legal disputes except where they are excluded, plus a number of additional forms of cover, such as:
- Legal assistance for tax disputes if you're able to appeal to the relevant court against an assessment recorded against you.
- In the case of more serious crimes and disciplinary offences: if there is no finding of intention on your part, we pay the fees and costs that are covered under this legal assistance.
Main exclusions
- Disputes between policyholders.
- Disputes involving real estate or parts thereof that you do not use in your practice.
- Disputes related to situations where you are the owner, keeper or controller of a motor vehicle and trailer, aircraft, sports vehicle or sailing boat.
Additional things you must be aware of
- KBC Medical and Paramedical Professions Insurance can include one or more of the following forms of cover:
- Liability insurance for your profession
- Legal assistance insurance
- Legal assistance insurance Medi+
- This product is governed by the laws of Belgium.
The insurance cover is valid for a term of one year and is tacitly renewed unless you cancel it no later than three months before the main renewal date.
For policies taken out or tacitly renewed on or after 1 October 2024, you have up to two months before the main renewal date to cancel them.- Your intermediary is your first point of contact for any complaints you may have. If no agreement can be reached, you can contact KBC Complaints Management, Brusselsesteenweg 100, 3000 Leuven, complaints@kbc.be, tel. 016 43 25 94 (free) or + 32 78 15 20 45 (pay number), fax + 32 16 86 30 38. If you cannot find a suitable solution, you can contact the Insurance Ombudsman, which serves the whole industry, de Meeûssquare 35, 1000 Brussels, info@ombudsman.as, www.ombudsman.as.
- Your right to raise legal proceedings is not affected.
