Archambault William H
Piedmont Liability Trust, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA.
Semin Diagn Pathol. 2007 May;24(2):119-30. doi: 10.1053/j.semdp.2007.03.009.
Malpractice claims are an unavoidable part of the practice of clinical medicine. Physicians purchase professional liability insurance to protect themselves from financial and other adverse consequences of such claims. Insurance policies require the insurer to hire attorneys to represent, defend and advise physicians who are named as defendants in medical malpractice lawsuits. Insurance policies require insurers to pay the costs associated with defending the lawsuit and paying, within policy limits, any damages for which a physician is determined to be liable. The relationship between insurer, defense counsel and physician can be complicated by divergent interests, concerns and priorities. It is important for physicians to be knowledgeable consumers when they are in the market for malpractice coverage. Familiarity with types of coverage, controls placed on defense costs and policy terms that determine decision-making authority on settlement issues are essential to making an informed purchase of insurance coverage.
医疗事故索赔是临床医学实践中不可避免的一部分。医生购买职业责任保险以保护自己免受此类索赔带来的财务和其他不利后果。保险政策要求保险公司聘请律师代表、为在医疗事故诉讼中被列为被告的医生辩护并提供建议。保险政策要求保险公司支付与辩护诉讼相关的费用，并在保单限额内支付医生被判定应承担责任的任何损害赔偿。保险公司、辩护律师和医生之间的关系可能会因利益、关注点和优先事项的不同而变得复杂。对于医生来说，在购买医疗事故保险时成为明智的消费者非常重要。熟悉保险类型、对辩护费用的控制以及决定和解问题决策权的保单条款对于明智地购买保险至关重要。
