Licensing Board Representation

While not all states require veterinarians to carry professional liability insurance (malpractice insurance), most veterinarians do. Most veterinarian professional liability insurance policies, however, limit coverage to civil malpractice claims. Although veterinarian malpractice claims are on the rise, more often, animal owners seek recourse by filing a complaint with their veterinarian’s state licensing board.

Many veterinarians are surprised to learn that their professional liability insurance coverage does not extend to licensing board hearings. If you are a veterinarian who has received a complaint notice, consider contacting Kelly to help guide you through the licensing board complaint process.

Another component of licensing board representation is advocating on behalf of lay people who have been contacted by a state veterinary licensing board with allegations that the services which they have provided horse owners actually fall within the scope of veterinary medicine.

Many equine service providers are surprised to hear that, in some states, services such as massage therapy, physical therapy, magnetic field therapy, dentistry, and laser therapy, are modalities which are considered within the scope of veterinary medicine. If you provide these type of services, or have already been contacted by a state licensing board for the unlawful practice of veterinary medicine, please consider contacting Kelly for a consultation to discuss your next step, or to discuss your legal obligations if you choose to offer these types of services to horse owners.