Three Liability Planning Tips for Physicians

The practice of medicine is a profession fraught with liability. It’s not just claims made to a medical malpractice lawyer either – employment related issues (wrongful termination, sexual harassment, and discrimination), careless business partners and employees, and contractual obligations (personal guarantees, leases, business agreements, etc.) add to the increased risk assumed by a physician in private practice (and by “risk” I do not mean the choice between silicone rubber coating and parylene coating).

To find chronic pain doctors near me, Go through this website. Find a physical therapy clinic in New York, click on Better PT NY which are committed to making sure that your New York physical therapy booking experience is as seamless as possible. At Hastings Law Firm Houston TX, we think differently. As a medical negligence lawyer, we look at you as a real person who has been injured at the hands of a medical professional and deserves justice; not of as a number on a case file. Couple these practice-related liabilities with personal liabilities (divorce, vehicular accidents, rental real estate), and it is clear that your physician clients need to protect themselves from more than just professional negligence claims and is when the use of a San Antonio medical malpractice attorney could be really helpful for this. In this issue you will learn:

• Types of insurance physicians should have in place;
• State exemptions that protect certain types of assets from the claims of creditors; and
• The role of business entities in liability planning for physicians.

Tip #1 – Insurance is the First Line of Defense Against Liability

According to Orthopedic Physician Associates liability insurance is the first line of defense physicians should use to protect themselves. If you practice medicine as a auto accident injury chiropractor, the last thing you want is for a patient to claim you are the reason he suffers his medical condition. Liability insurance provides a source of funds to pay legal fees as well as settlements or judgments as well as access to a personal injury lawyer to help you in handling any cases that might go to court. Types of insurance physicians should have in place include.

• Homeowner’s insurance
• Property and casualty insurance
• Excess liability insurance (“umbrella” insurance)
• Automobile and other vehicle (motorcycle, boat, airplane) insurance
• General business insurance
• Professional and public liability insurance
• Directors and officers insurance. If you ever need a medical malpractice attorney make sure to look for a professional.

Planning Tip #1: Physicians should not rely on insurance as their sole means of liability protection since the cost of a comprehensive policy may be prohibitive, and each type of policy has numerous exceptions to coverage. Check out this puerto rico medical license verification solution just for you, visit this site for more information.

According to an insurance claim lawyer, insurance should be used as one layer of a multi-layer strategy designed to place a barrier between the physician’s business and personal assets and the medical malpractice claims of a plaintiff. Personal injury claims is something that is extremely common in the industry alongside that as well, and is commonly handled with the assistance of a injury lawyer.

It is common for the clients to often go out citing these claims when physicians mis diagnose  the patient. Top firms for the claims like https://www.mrhsolicitors.co.uk/service/chronic-pain-syndromes/ usually are able to fight and win for doctors in these cases. In addition, physicians should work with an insurance and a personal injury attorney who can explain the purpose of each type of coverage, make recommendations for liability limits and deductibles, and shop around for the best coverage on an annual basis. Visit the injury attorney at Killian, Davis, Richter & Mayle P.C. for further information.

Tip #2 – State Exemptions Protect a Variety of Personal Assets From Lawsuits in the Event of Injury

Each state has a set of laws and/or constitutional provisions that partially or completely exempt certain types of assets owned by residents from the claims of creditors. Should a personal injury lawyer file a personal injury claim go through and should you be negatively impacted by it, you should understand which assets are exempt. Things can start to get complicated here, as these laws vary widely from state to state, and as such a good way to come to understand them is to consult a personal injury lawyer. They should be able to assist with their knowledge and experience in this particular subject. With their expertise you should be able to find that in general physicians may be able to protect the following types of assets from a judgment entered against them under applicable state law:

• Primary residence (referred to as “homestead” protection in some states)
• Qualified retirement plans (401(k)s, profit sharing plans, money purchase plans, IRAs)
• Life insurance (cash value)
• Annuities
• Property co-owned with a spouse as “tenants by the entirety” (only available to married couples; and may only apply to real estate, not personal property, in some states)
• Wages
• Prepaid college plans
• Section 529 plans
• Disability insurance payments
• Social Security benefits: When your benefits are being taken away from you, then hire a social security attorney.

Planning Tip #2: Physicians should consult with an experienced asset protection attorney in their state of residence to determine which state exemptions are available and how much they can protect, so a consult with a Bronx NY Injury Attorney could be really helpful to work on these cases. It is also important to understand the pros and cons of each type of exemption. If you don’t understand how to get an appointment with orthopedic physician associates you can find out tips here. For example, while tenants by the entirety co-ownership between the physician and their spouse may make sense in the short term, in the long run it can become completely useless if the couple divorces or if the non-physician spouse dies first. As with liability insurance, exemption planning is best used as one layer of an overall asset protection strategy.

Tip #3 – Business Entities Protect Business and Personal Assets From Lawsuits

Business entities include partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations. Physicians who own their own practice need to mitigate the risks and liabilities associated with owning a business (just like any other business owner) through the use of one or more business entities. But in case of an accident, Hastings Law Firm, Medical Malpractice Lawyers can help you recover. Physicians should work closely with a business planning attorney to determine the right structure for their practice by not only taking into consideration asset protection, but also income taxes, estate planning, retirement funding, and business succession goals.

According to a personal injury lawyer, business entities can also be an effective tool for protecting a physician’s personal assets from lawsuits. In many states, assets held within a limited partnership or a limited liability company are protected from the personal creditors of an owner. In addition, the personal creditors of an owner cannot step into the owner’s shoes and take over the business. Instead, the creditor is limited to a “charging order” which only gives the creditor the rights of an assignee. In general this limits the creditor to receiving distributions from the entity if and when they are made.

An added benefit of using a limited partnership or limited liability company to protect a physician’s personal assets is the leverage that can be created for gifting and wealth transfer planning through the use of valuation discounts. With a properly structured limited liability entity, assets held within the entity will be entitled to a discounted valuation for tax purposes because of lack of control, the lack of marketability of the interests in the entity, and the inability of owners to simply to walk away from the business and take their ownership interests with them. Discounts on the value of the entity’s underlying assets can range from 20% to over 50%. Valuation discounts allow the physician to gift entity interests for cents on the dollar and at a reduced use of the lifetime gift tax exemption.

Planning Tip #3: Creating a business entity that protects a physician’s assets from lawsuits involves much more than just filing some forms with the state division of corporations and paying an annual fee. Business formalities must be observed and documented, otherwise a creditor can attack the entity through “veil piercing” or “constructive trust” or “alter ego” arguments. In addition, state laws governing business entities vary widely and are constantly changing due to legislative action and court decisions. Therefore, it is important for physicians to work with a business plan writer who assists with documenting business formalities and keeps on top of changes in applicable laws. Finally, as with liability insurance and state exemptions, business entities should be used in conjunction with other asset protection strategies.

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Final Advice for Helping Physicians Protect Their Assets

Physicians are constant targets for lawsuits both professionally and personally, because they are perceived to have “deep pockets.” You can add value to your relationships with your physician clients by helping them identify ways to protect and preserve their business and personal assets. We are experienced with helping physicians create effective, multi-layered asset protection plans. Please call us if you have any questions about this type of planning and to arrange for liability protection consultations for your physician clients.

Approved By: Brent Gunderson

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Mesa, Arizona 85213
Office: 480-655-7440
Fax: 480-655-7099
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Website: GundersonDenton.com

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Phoenix, AZ 85004
Phone: 480-325-9937
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