Forensic analysts have many job responsibilities, including evidence analysis at crime scenes, evidence collection, field testing, in-depth documentation, investigation reporting, and law enforcement advisory. All of these tasks have risks that can jeopardize the forensic analyst’s employment, reputation, and investigations.
These professionals work alongside law enforcement officers, federal investigators, and other forensic workers. The Canadian forensic industry is at its highest point in decades. To meet the demand nationwide, forensic analysts have committed to more extensive work schedules. Officials hope to encourage more high school graduates to enroll in forensic college classes.
Being overworked is guaranteed to result in more mishaps, like documentation errors, insufficient evidence collection, misplaced evidence, poor evidence analysis. Due to the graphic nature of crime scenes, forensics is a difficult career choice. Most forensic workers love their jobs and would never be happy doing anything else.
Forensic analysts have reported burnout after only a few years in the industry. When professionals exhibit signs of burnout, it becomes obvious to everyone around them. Their co-workers, friends, family members, and even strangers try to help, but there is nothing they can do. The solution is counseling, self-help groups, rest, time away from work, and more family time.
What kind of protections are in place to help overworked forensic analysts from financial loss, in the event a negligence claim is filed against them? It is highly likely, the employer is not going to offer any protection, other than health care insurance. Your only option is to obtain coverage through an outside source like ProfessionalsCoverage. These insurance agents will help you create a custom policy that will offer financial protection against third-party claims and lawsuits.
Customize your liability insurance policy with the best coverage types like the ones listed below.
Forensic Analysts Professional Liability Insurance
Forensic analysts have many risk exposures that are enhanced when they are overworked and tired. The best form of financial protection for professionals like forensic analysts is Professional Liability Insurance (PLI). This policy provides a layer of protection between professionals and financial loss associated with negligence claims and lawsuits.
Forensic analysis is a very demanding, fast-paced job. When you combined these with being tired and overworked, there is no doubt your exposure risks are much higher than most other professionals. It would be easy to see why professionals working in these conditions are committing unintentional negligent acts, resulting in financial damage for their clients.
Even if you are protected under your employer’s insurance plan, you are still at risk. A PLI policy will cover your financial risks associated with negligence claims and lawsuits. Just to give you an example, a forensic analyst failed to report evidence collected at a double-murder crime scene. The missing evidence prompted the job to let the suspect go.
Whether the suspect was guilty or not guilty did not matter. What did matter, the missing crime scene evidence could have supported the investigators’ theory. If the evidence were to make it to court, the prosecuting attorney would have proof of the defendant’s guilt.
If and when the mishap is discovered, the forensic analyst may be forced to pay out of pocket to cover the financial damage of the failed criminal case. The judge may decide to penalize the negligent party by imposing a fine of thousands of dollars. Is this the right course of action? Let’s start by saying the judge has the legal right to impose fines in such situations.
Luckily for the forensic analyst, the PLI policy will cover most or all of the litigation expenses. As far as the fine goes, it may or may not be covered. The insurer will make the decision of whether or not the fine meets the PLI guidelines.
Other Liability Recommendations For Forensic Analysts
Forensic analysts can never have too much insurance coverage. They can have too little cover, but never too much. Once you have a core PLI policy, adding additional coverage types will always be a breeze. To be fully protected, a custom liability policy is a necessity. Integrating the coverage types listed below is the best thing you will ever do for your career.
General Liability Insurance
General Liability Insurance (GLI) is highly recommended to forensic analysts and other professionals working in the same industry. Unlike PLI, this policy covers reputational, advertising, and property damage claims. It also covers bodily injury claims.
Forensic analysts assess all evidence found at a crime. This evidence can range from strands of hair, broken fingernails, glass fragments, shredded material, contaminated furniture, and chemicals.
The professionals take the necessary precautions to prevent exposure, but it is not always easy to prevent. Exposure to harmful crime scene evidence, such as illegal drugs, chemicals, petroleum, poison, and other toxins, poses dangerous health risks. Blurred vision, nausea, shortness of breath, headache, and dizziness are just a few symptoms associated with chemical exposure. Depending on the length of exposure, the symptoms will become more severe, resulting in syncope, loss of consciousness, fatigue, organ damage, and sometimes death.
A simple mishap associated with chemical exposure could result in severe bodily injury and property damage. Even though forensic analysts work in controlled environments, chemical exposure can negatively impact the entire laboratory. Bodily injury claims associated with professional mishaps are covered under GLI.
Your custom PLI policy will cover your legal fees and bodily injury and property damage claims. This is why PLI is so important in the forensics industry. As crime continues to tick upwards, the workload of forensic analysts in Canada is expected to gradually increase as well.
Disability Insurance
You biggest asset in life is your earning ability. If you are unable to work, you will need to rely on either your savings or borrow money to sustain your lifestyle. When these unfortunate circumstances occur, dependents and spouses are also impacted financially and emotionally.
Disability insurance coverage will provide you a monthly income benefit, usually totaling 70% to 80% of your income, when you are unable to work for a period of time due to injury or illness.
Types of disability insurance
- Long-Term Disability Insurance (LTD)
- Short-Term Disability Insurance
- Key Person Disability Insurance
- Self Employed Disability Insurance
- Mortgage Disability Insurance
- Temporary Disability Insurance
- Supplemental Disability Insurance
Need coverage in effect? Compare the market!
FAQ before purchasing liability insurance
- How much professional liability insurance do I need?
- How do I get a liability insurance policy?
- What does professional liability insurance cover?
- What is the difference between claims made & occurrence form of coverage?
- When will I need to be insured?
- What other professions need this type of insurance?
Other useful posts you should also read
- Canadian insurance companies that provide professional liability insurance
- How does the claims process work if I get sued because of my professional services?
- What is the cost of professional liability insurance?
- How do I apply for a professional liability insurance policy?
- How do I qualify for coverage as a professional service provider?
- What is the purpose of getting insured as a professional?
- How long will it take to get an insurance quote for my business?