Does it Matter which Florida Dental Malpractice Insurance Company I choose?

Dentists in Florida ask us all the time which dental malpractice insurance company they should choose for their dental malpractice insurance. There are five main dental malpractice insurance companies in Florida. All advertise that they are the best for Florida dentists. So, which one should a dentist choose?

As a Florida agency who has been writing dental malpractice insurance for over thirty years, we can offer some thoughts:

First, choose a Florida dental malpractice insurance company that specializes in insuring dentists. The dental malpractice company will focus all its resources on the dental profession. In many cases, Florida dentists play “second fiddle” to other medical specialties, such as medical physicians. This lack of focus on the dentist weakens the dental malpractice insurance company’s ability to properly defend a Florida dentist should a claim occur.

Second, choose a Florida dental malpractice insurance company that has insured dentists for a long time. Nothing trumps experience in defending Florida dentists. A new dental malpractice insurance company will lack the depth of knowledge necessary for defending complicated dental malpractice cases.

Third, choose a dental malpractice insurance company that aggressively fights frivolous claims. If the dental malpractice insurer settles claims easily, the Florida dentist will have difficulty securing coverage in the future. They may also wind up in the National Practitioner’s Data Bank because the company was unable to properly defend them.

And finally, choose a dental malpractice insurance company that has a proven Risk Management Program geared specifically to the dentist. Claims are awful, even if they are frivolous and even if a dentist wins in court. Avoiding claims in the first place is the aim of the Florida dentist. A proven attempt by the dental malpractice insurer to help the dental practitioner avoid a lawsuit is invaluable. And…the Florida dentist will likely receive a credit on their malpractice insurance premium for successful completion of the Risk Management Course.

John Gracey Backer, CPA
John Gracey Backer, CPA

John Gracey Backer, CPA, is the Treasurer of Gracey-Backer, Inc., an Insurance Agency in Delray Beach, Florida specializing in All Lines of Malpractice, Professional and Personal Insurance for the Healthcare Provider. He can be contacted at (561) 404-5828, or at john@gbifl.com.

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