As a practicing veterinarian, you need to protect yourself, your clients, and your practice if an unexpected event occurs. Veterinarians often get general liability insurance or professional liability insurance to cover mistakes or bodily injuries that occur in the practice.
Animal bailee coverage protects your practice when something happens to animals under your care. Disability insurance for veterinarians is also necessary for the following reasons:
1. Protection Against Animal Scratches and Bites
Animal bites and scratches may happen during dental examinations, behavioral assessments, or medication administration, causing injuries or infections. Muscle injuries may occur when veterinarians are trying to lift or move animals of large sizes. If you repeatedly complete the same tasks during grooming or surgery, you could also get joint and muscle injuries. Cleaning agents used to disinfect an animal’s space may cause skin irritation or other health issues.
If you are working in the field, you could also encounter hazards that result in physical injuries. The hazards range from environmental hazards to uneven terrain in rural settings. Most of these injuries can affect your ability to move and could result in temporary or permanent disability, necessitating the need for disability insurance for veterinarians.
2. Compensation Due to Illness
As veterinarians work with animals, they are at risk of contracting zoonotic diseases such as ringworm and rabies. Zoonotic diseases cause neurological complications that can result in disability. Respiratory issues such as asthma can also exacerbate if you come into contact with animal hair or fur. Many of these diseases can potentially result in illnesses or injuries that can be costly to treat. Exposure to animals increases the risk of contracting infectious diseases that could limit your movement and cause long-term disability. An insurance coverage plan will help protect you and your practice from losing income in the long term.
3. Protection Against Accidents
Tripping and falling in your office may cause spinal cord injuries, head injuries, or fractures. Some of these injuries cause mobility limitations, while others will lead to permanent paralysis. If you regularly perform surgeries on animals, the repetitive activities may cause tendonitis. These conditions reduce your dexterity, affect your fine motor skills, and could cause permanent disability. With the help of disability insurance, veterinarians can pay for their medical costs and meet their financial obligations while recovering from their disability.
4. Protection Against Loss of Income
If you become disabled, you could lose your practice revenue or salary due to your inability to work. Even when you eventually return to work, some of your clients could have started taking their pets to other veterinarians. Your ability to contribute to your retirement savings can diminish, and you could miss opportunities for professional development.
Disability insurance pays a portion of what you were earning before becoming disabled. The insurance also pays for the cost of running your practice so that you can hire employees to continue your work. If you need to seek recovery and rehabilitation, the money from the insurance can help you do that. Some insurance policies cover and pay for your living costs and residual benefits. You could use the disability insurance to structure your tax returns and get tax benefits.
5. Increase Long-term Comfort
Being unprepared for an accident may cause undue stress on you and your family. You may not be able to make long-term financial plans if you have to put aside money for accidents and unforeseen occurrences. When you have disability insurance, you are assured of financial compensation if an event leads to your disability. You may experience greater comfort knowing that you will meet your family’s financial needs even when you are disabled. Some insurance policies allow you to use your premiums as part of your savings plan, allowing you to simultaneously grow your savings.
Get Disability Insurance for Veterinarians
Veterinarians work in environments that have an increased risk for disability. Animal bites can cause infections that result in disability, or you could slip and fall, causing you to deal with long-term medical bills and physical therapy sessions. Disability insurance for veterinarians caters to your medical costs and allows you to meet your financial obligations. Contact a reputable insurance provider for more information about the coverage plans they offer veterinarians.
