Podiatrists indemnity and liability insurance
Your line of work is unique, so we’ve tailored an insurance policy that best suits the needs of your profession to better protect your reputation and livelihood.
Association Endorsed by
If you're forced to defend your professional reputation, you'll want the best support behind you.
Our policies include three types of insurance in one designed specifically for exercise professionals combining: professional indemnity insurance, public liability insurance, and product liability insurance.
Product liability
Insurance cover for liability for injury or property damage caused by goods sold or supplied by you. This can include cover for clients getting sick or injured from products you provide for example; custom made orthotics, anti-fungal sprays and more.
Cover and benefits of this podiatrist insurance policy
Nil basic excess on liability claims
Run-off cover which protects you when you’ve ceased practising permanently
Cover for legal costs and expenses associated with complaints to your registration body, disciplinary proceedings or a coronial inquiry
Provides a 21-day cooling-off period, allowing you to change your mind after purchasing coverage
Ongoing education through our RiskHQ, providing you with relevant and informative information on the risks that matter to you
Round-the-clock support with 24 / 7 claim support line availability
To find out more or to get your hands on our policy wording, simply call us on 1800 810 213.
Common Podiatrist FAQs
The law governs that any professional exercise the required skill to an appropriate level expected by that profession. A professional may be liable for financial loss, injury or damage arising from an act, error or omission of fault if the professional has not acted to the required level of skill deemed in that profession. Failure through this may result in the claimant (person who suffered the loss) be awarded for that loss, damage or injury.
Many professions require you to hold a professional indemnity insurance policy by law, such as Ahpra registered professions, but can be for other industries such as financial institutions also. Please check with your registration body or associations of your profession to know if it is required by law to have professional indemnity insurance. It is often also required by companies who take on contract workers that are not governed under the companies own insurance policy. It is acceptable for a company to ask you as the professional contractor to provide evidence of cover for professional indemnity before starting the contract period.
As stated above professional indemnity insurance covers you for breaches in relation to your professional duty. Liability insurance covers you for activity that results in personal injury or property damage as a result of your business activities that do not relate to your specific profession. An example may be someone who trips and is injured from spilled water within your office may be covered under liability, because it is your duty of care as business person to provide a safe environment. Whereas a person who suffers a loss or injury because of your professional treatment in relation to your job has caused it would usually be consider as an indemnity breach.
Generally business insurance is to cover the physical assets of your business for material damage loss and options for theft cover. It can also include cover for financial loss due to business interruption. Usually basic insurance does not cover breach of duty or flood cover, but if you speak to an insurance specialist it can often be added to your policy for a nominal fee.
Depending on the policy you are taking out, covers will often vary. At Guild insurance we specialise in making a policy to suit your business so that you are not over paying for covers you wouldn't normally need. The best thing to do is call 1800 810 213 to speak to an insurance specialist, they can find out what activities and structure your business is in to then provide you with adequate cover for you.
A certificate of currency (or COC for short) is a written document that confirms that your insurance policy is current and valid at a specific date and time. At Guild we provide easy access to your COC at any time within a few clicks of our online portal PolicyHub. If you are a new customer we can provide you with one post purchase.
Our partnership with podiatry western australia
Guild is the principal partner of Podiatry Western Australian and has been for over 4 years.
We work closely with your association to tailor an insurance policy suited to your unique needs.
Podiatry Western Australia is the leading body for podiatrists in WA, dedicated to advancing foot health and supporting high standards in podiatric practice.
Not just an insurance policy
Risk articles with RiskHQ
You can visit RiskHQ at any time to read up about the unique risks you face as an exercise professional. We cover a variety of risk management topics, from managing complaints, to social media risks, and much more.
Orthoses – managing expectations
It may surprise you to know that complaints about orthoses are a common source of podiatry claims to Guild Insurance.
Common allegations include:
- The orthoses caused the client to suffer a new injury, such as a hip or lower back problem.
- The orthoses exacerbated the client’s existing or underlying condition.
- The orthoses failed to resolve the client’s presenting problem.
Any claim against you, whether substantiated or not, can be distressing. Your good reputation may be damaged leading to undue criticism from other healthcare providers and reduced client referrals. Furthermore, complaints to agencies such as AHPRA may take many months to resolve resulting in a prolonged period of uncertainty.
Managing client expectations through effective communication is central to avoiding claims against you. Key issues to discuss with clients include, but are not limited to:
- Discuss the range of options available to treat the individual’s condition. Take the time to discuss the pros and cons of each option, including costs and risks.Ensure the client understands the difference in expectations between pre-formed and custom-made orthoses.
- Make sure the client understands what outcomes he or she can realistically expect to achieve with the orthoses. Remember, what is obvious to you may be completely foreign to the client.However, don’t just ask them if they understand, as in many cases they’ll say yes even if they don’t.It’s better to ask the client to tell you what they’ve understood from the discussion.
- Where suitable, use visual aids such as diagrams and models to help explain the information.
- Allow clients adequate opportunity to ask questions and weigh-up their options, including the financial implications of their choice.Give them time to make their decision, they shouldn’t be expected to decide at the appointment where they were given the information.They may wish to think about it for a few days.
- Provide clear instructions about how the orthoses are to be used, including choice of footwear and any prescribed exercises or stretches.Carefully explain the implications of not following your instructions.
- Remember to discuss the expected life span of the orthoses and any instructions for ongoing care.
- Emphasise the importance of attending all follow-up appointments and contacting you immediately if they have any concerns.Remember to outline the early warning signs of any complications and urge the client to contact you as soon as any issues arise.
- Where possible, provide clients with written information for them to take away and read in their own time.Sometimes people are not able to absorb everything they’re told during an appointment.However, written information should only be used to re-enforce what was discussed, not as a replacement for the conversation.
Finally, remember to clearly document your discussion and the outcomes in the client’s clinical notes. Good clinical notes are invaluable in the event of a complaint against you.
Orthoses - Managing Expectations
- Podiatrists
- Professional
Insurance for podiatry and health centres
If you own a podiatry or health centre and need insurance for your building, contents and more. Visit our information on business insurance for podiatry businesses.
*Coverage up to $20 million requires your selection of cover up to this limit during the quote and purchase process.
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