Professional Indemnity Insurance

Professional Indemnity Insurance

Professional Indemnity Insurance gives you peace of mind knowing that you are protected while you are at work and have sufficient insurance for the purposes of claims directed at you and for AHPRA registration. All financial AEAV members employed as ambulance personnel are covered by our Professional Indemnity Insurance Policy. It’s another reason why membership of AEAV is so important to professionals working in this sector.

What is Professional Indemnity Insurance?

Professional indemnity insurance protects workers for the costs of defending claims against them for events that occur while they are carrying out their professional duties.

Why do I need Professional Indemnity Insurance?

The Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) requires that certain nationally registered health practitioners must have Professional Indemnity (PI) Insurance as part of their registration. Your United Workers Union policy gives you more than enough to meet the requirements of national registration. It covers you in circumstances where you are not covered by your employer’s own PI scheme.

Click on the image below for details of registration requirements.

What am I covered for?

You are covered for necessary and reasonable costs and expenses incurred (with the insurer’s prior written consent), in defending, investigating or settling any civil liability claims made against you that result from the conduct of your professional services. This means it covers you for civil suits resulting from incidents that occur at work.*

The policy applies in situations where your employer’s policy fails to operate to defend you against any claim.

The United Workers Union provides several additional benefits compared with other policies, and any excess cost associated with a claim by a United Workers Union member will be paid for by the union.

How do I make my claim?

You must contact AEAV as soon as possible once you are aware of a claim against you or as soon as you first become aware of facts or circumstances that might give rise to a claim against you.

Doesn’t Ambulance Victoria have its own Professional Indemnity Insurance that covers me?

A claim can be directed against you and your employer, either separately or jointly. You may not have sufficient cover against the liability exposure of a negligence claim in your employer policy. More importantly, there are substantial costs in defending any claim, even one based on unfounded allegations. An employer group policy may not have sufficient cover for you to receive the best legal advice and representation.

Your employer and you often have differing interests in the event of a claim arising from an incident involving the treatment of a patient. With your own policy, there will be no conflict of interest, as your insurer will work only in your interest.

You may volunteer or engage in Good Samaritan acts, work in policy development or participate in practical components of CPD. Your employer’s policy will not cover you in those circumstances.

Your own policy will cover your legal costs in connection with a coronial inquest.

For more information on this policy or any claim or potential claim, please contact AEAV on 03 9287 1713.

*Disclaimer: This information confers no rights upon the viewer. It does not amend, extend or alter the coverage afforded by the policy. It is provided as a brief summary only of the cover provided and is current only at the date of issue (08/08/2023). For full particulars, reference must be made to the current policy wording.