All physiotherapists in Australia are legally required to have professional indemnity insurance (PII) in place.
Not only can it protect your business and personal assets, but often your reputation as well.
Many policies also cover the cost of hiring a public relations consultant to repair a reputation damaged by litigation.
Why is professional indemnity worth considering for Phyiotherapists?
In the course of practising their profession, physiotherapists perform a variety of services for their clients. This means they are exposed to risks on a variety of levels.
Typical activities that fall within their job description can include:
Helping to reduce pain and restore client mobility
Conducting one-on-one therapy sessions with clients
Evaluating and reporting on therapy outcomes.
Conducting group sessions to train other professionals such as teachers, nurses and social workers
Encouraging those clients to talk about their feelings
Conducting group therapy sessions in a clinical setting
Networking to build and maintain a consistent client base
Key risks can include:
Negligence in the course of providing therapy
Failing to develop suitable programs and services
Negligence in the course of counselling a client
Incorrect treatment advice given to a client.
Finder survey: How often do people compare or switch their professional indemnity insurance?
Response
Male
Female
once every 3+ yrs
1.93%
0.85%
I never compare or switch
1.73%
1.53%
once a year
1.35%
1.19%
every 2 yrs
0.96%
0.85%
more than once a year
0.19%
0.34%
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1112 Australians, December 2023
What does this type of insurance cover?
Professional indemnity insurance protects against claims of negligence, error or omission that could be brought against you by one of your clients.
If you provide a service or advice to a client and they suffer a loss as a result, they may bring a claim against you to recover their loss. Professional indemnity insurance protects your assets by paying your legal defence costs and any damages that might be awarded.
The kinds of claims that can be brought against professionals and which professional indemnity insurance typically protects against include:
Providing incorrect or inadequate advice
Failing to advise
Libel, defamation or slander
Loss of documents
Ignoring client instructions
Breaches of trading or consumer laws
Intellectual property infringement
Breach of confidentiality
Breach of contract
Conflict of interest.
Professional indemnity insurance will protect you and your business against the costs associated with such claims and it will not only protect you, but also your partners, directors and employees both past and present.
How can I compare professional indemnity cover if I'm a physio?
Professional indemnity insurance varies widely, so it’s important to shop around and compare policies from different insurers.
Ask these questions when reviewing cover
Things to ask yourself when examining a policy include:
Is it specific to my industry? (e.g. is it designed to cover physiotherapists and the unique exposures they face?)
Does the insurer have a good industry rating and claims payment history?
What kind of support do they provide? (e.g. will your claim be managed by a dedicated claims team?)
Does the policy represent good value for money? (e.g. does the cost reflect the level of cover provided?)
Does it cover you for work done in a previous practice? (e.g. does it include run-off cover?)
Are there several reinstatements of the sum insured, in case you have more than one claim in a year?
Does the excess need to be paid upfront towards legal costs (costs-inclusive) or can it go towards the settlement at a later date (costs-exclusive)?
Are there any exclusions that would disadvantage you in your particular circumstances and reduce your level of cover to an unacceptable degree?
What are the territorial limitations of the policy? (e.g. will you be covered if a claim emanates from another country?)
Speak to an advisor if you're unsure
It’s important that you get the right professional indemnity insurance at the right price and with the right level of cover, so if you are experiencing any problems in choosing a policy, it is always advisable to seek professional advice from an insurance broker or consultant.
What about public liability cover?
As a physiotherapist, you spend your time trying to help others overcome their injuries, but injuries that result from accidents on your business premises can come back to bite you in a big way.
Public liability insurance is vital for any business or profession that has daily dealings with the general public. It is designed to protect you from claims made by third parties for injuries or property damage that occur on your premises or as a result of your actions in the course of doing business.
More and more people are seeking damages in court for public liability claims and the size of the pay outs these days can easily be in the millions of dollars, so no business can afford to be unprotected. Fortunately, due to a competitive Australian marketplace, public liability insurance can be obtained relatively cheaply. So if you’re a practising physiotherapist and you don’t have it, it would be wise to take it out at the time of purchasing your professional indemnity insurance.
Talk to a broker about professional indemnity insurance for physiotherapists
Frequently asked questions
Because you could be accused, whether it is founded or not and you would have to fund your legal costs in defending the claim out of your own pocket.
It will protect your business and your personal assets in the event of a claim and allow you to continue running your practice.
It will depend on the requirements of any organisations you belong to or any legislative requirements that may apply to your industry. Ultimately however, the level of cover you choose should reflect your particular circumstances and your level of potential liability.
As soon as you become aware of it, otherwise your claim might be rejected because of a known circumstance.
It is a circumstance that you were aware of, or should have been aware of, where a claim could be likely, prior to a claim actually being made.
The date from which you are covered by your professional indemnity insurance policy.
No. As a physiotherapist, you need PI cover whether your services are paid for or voluntary and it is unlikely that your employer’s PI Insurance would cover you outside of work.
No. If it is a medical emergency and you are applying first aid, this is known as a Good Samaritan act, for which you do not need PI Insurance.
Richard Laycock is Finder’s insights editor after spending the last five years writing and editing articles about insurance. His musings can be found across the web including on MoneyMag, Yahoo Finance and Travel Weekly. Richard studied Media at Macquarie University and The Missouri School of Journalism and has a Tier 1 Certification in General Advice for Life Insurance. See full bio
Why do accountants need professional indemnity insurance? Why do they need public liability insurance? This article looks at the many risks that accountants are exposed to in the course of doing business and will hopefully convince every accountant who reads it that PI Insurance is not something they can afford to be without.
Nursing is a vital profession in hospitals and nursing homes around Australia, but the people who work as nurses are exposed to a unique range of risks. If a nurse were to make a mistake or an error of judgement — for example administer the wrong medication, fail to follow a doctor’s instructions or give incorrect advice to a patient — they could find themselves the subject of a lawsuit for a breach of their professional duty.
This is where professional indemnity insurance shows its worth. This type of cover offers much-needed financial protection for nurses against claims of negligence or malpractice. It covers the cost of your legal defence as well as any compensation you may be legally required to pay to a third party. Public relations costs to repair your professional image are also covered by professional indemnity policies.
In order to find the right professional indemnity insurance policy for you, compare policies at finder.com.au and seek advice from colleagues. Compare quotes from a number of insurers and seek help from an insurance consultant if required.
Can I purchase just 1 month of cover for professional indemnity insurance for aged care physiotherapy?
Finder
RichardJanuary 14, 2016Finder
Hi Gabriel,
Thanks for your question. finder.com.au is a comparison service and not an insurer. If you enter your details into the contact form a broker will be in touch to walk you the options available to you.
I hope this was helpful,
Richard
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Can I purchase just 1 month of cover for professional indemnity insurance for aged care physiotherapy?
Hi Gabriel,
Thanks for your question. finder.com.au is a comparison service and not an insurer. If you enter your details into the contact form a broker will be in touch to walk you the options available to you.
I hope this was helpful,
Richard