Understanding Liability Insurance Requirements for Physiotherapists
Liability insurance provides financial compensation for people who have been harmed as a result of malpractice or negligence by a professional. If you’re a practicing physiotherapist (providing patient care), you must have liability insurance.
To register with the College, you need:
- a minimum coverage of $5 million dollars for the annual policy period
- a liability limit of at least $5 million dollars per incident
- no additional terms, conditions or exclusions, other than standard
- no deductible
- tail insurance for a minimum of 10 years
Tail insurance means that while providing coverage for incidents occurring during your physiotherapy practice, it should also provide coverage for claims made up to 10 years* after you stop practising; that is, patients may claim against your practice period after it ends.
Please check with your employer to see if their clinic or hospital has insurance coverage, and whether that coverage protects you. If it does not, it’s your responsibility to arrange your own. Two commonly used insurance providers for professional physiotherapists are the Canadian Physiotherapy Association and Physiosure. There are, of course, many other independent choices. It’s up to you.
Remember: If you work in multiple practice environments (at many clinics and/or hospitals), do not assume your insurance at one location covers you for the others. You may have to arrange coverage for other locations, either separately or jointly.
Note: if we ask to see proof of your coverage, please provide it within 30 days.
Glossary
10 Years:
There may be circumstances where physiotherapists would want to keep their records for longer than the minimum 10-year period. For example, some liability claims or legal proceedings may be initiated for up to 15 years after the fact, for which the records may be needed. If you are not sure how long you should keep your records for, you may wish to speak to your employer or a lawyer about it.