Experienced Veterinarian Lawyers
Koziebrocki Law’s team acts as lawyers for veterinarians who face regulatory issues at the College of Veterinarians of Ontario (“CVO”). We provide experienced legal counsel to clients in proceedings.
Our regulatory firm is dedicated to providing quality legal advice and insight to help Ontario’s veterinarians protect their practice and their reputation.
CVO Complaints & Veterinarians
We help veterinarians in Toronto and across Ontario respond to complaints at the CVO. Our practice includes ensuring that written responses to veterinary complaints demonstrate that appropriate action has been taken to ensure that all issues of concern have been corrected.
Our experienced lawyers for veterinarians in Toronto and Ontario will also work to ensure that responses are sufficiently detailed and include complete patient records (e.g. communication notes, surgery/anaesthetic logs, laboratory reports, controlled drug logs, x-ray logs, x-rays, invoices, and electronic record audit trails) that comply with the CVO’s Professional Practice Standard on Medical Records.
How Our Veterinarian Lawyers Assist Veterinarians
Our team of defence lawyers for veterinarians will work to resolve issues early on in the Mediated Resolutions Program (“MRP”).
As trusted lawyers for
- Assisting veterinarians in CVO registration applications;
- Assisting with CVO fitness to practice matters; and
- Advising veterinarians on other practice issues that may arise, such as employment and other contract issues related to their staff or practice.
Frequently Asked Questions About Veterinarian Lawyers
What is a veterinarian lawyer?
A veterinarian lawyer is a licensed defence lawyer that provides legal counsel for veterinarians facing complaints through the CVO. Veterinarians must adhere to strict regulations, and if complaints from patients arise, they will need to work with a professional veterinarian lawyer to prepare their statement and submission or appeal to the CVO.
When may I need a veterinarian lawyer?
When a veterinarian faces claims from a patient through the CVO, they will need to work with a team of lawyers for veterinarians to resolve these issues early in the process. Legal representation is necessary for vets facing a variety of serious claims, including:
Professional Misconduct: If patients feel that ethical and professional standards have been breached, a claim can be made against veterinarians to the CVO.
Competence: If a vet’s competence is called into question, their reputation could face long-term harm. Working with experienced lawyers is crucial to navigating the important details involved in a proceeding through the CVO.
Negligence: Claims of negligence can significantly hurt the credibility of a veterinarian and their practice. Finding an experienced lawyer for a veterinarian in Toronto or across Ontario is the first step to discreetly resolving the issue.
Misdiagnosis: If a client’s pet has been misdiagnosed, there could be significant health or financially related consequences for the veterinarian and their practice. A professional lawyer for a veterinarian in Toronto or Ontario will represent a veterinarian in their proceedings and ensure appropriate measures are taken to protect their client’s reputation.
What is the College of Veterinarians of Ontario?
The College of Veterinarians of Ontario (“CVO”) is a licensing body that accredits veterinarians and regulates the delivery of veterinary medicine in Toronto and Ontario.
The college is responsible for issuing licenses to qualified professionals, setting the standards for safe animal care, inspecting veterinary facilities to ensure a professional environment, and administering practice programs to promote continued growth and improvement.
How to respond to a complaint to the CVO
If a client feels there has been a discrepancy in the level of care their pet has received, they may file a claim through the CVO. In these instances, lawyers for veterinarians are hired to represent the defendant and resolve any outstanding issues effectively.
The process begins with a letter from the CVO detailing the claim and asks for a corresponding response to allegations. Your lawyer will help you craft your response which should feature essential details, including the date and complexity of the care provided. Since this is your only opportunity to present your side to the committee, a clear and chronological retelling of the events is imperative to allow the CVO to fairly determine how to proceed.
Once your response has been finalized, your lawyer will submit the letter to the College’s investigator assigned to your case. Any relevant information, including lab reports, communication notes, and surgery records should be included with your response. Once they have all of the necessary information, the committee will decide the appropriate course of action.
Articles
Complaints at the College of Veterinarians of Ontario: What You Need To Know
Here is an experience that is common to many veterinarians. You look through your daily mail and see a letter bearing the mark of the College of Veterinarians of Ontario (the “CVO”). The letter is stamped “Personal and Confidential”. You open the letter and discover that a complaint has been lodged against you at the CVO relating to your professional conduct. If you are like most veterinarians, you are unfamiliar with the complaint process and understandably concerned.
The Practice of Anesthesia-Free Canine Teeth Cleaning
The practice of anesthesia-free canine teeth cleaning performed by non-veterinarians has become a regulatory concern in recent years.
Reviewing Decisions of the College of Veterinarians of Ontario at the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board (HPARB)
After receiving the Committee’s decision and reasons, veterinarians and complainants will typically have 30 days to make a written request for a review. The HPARB will review final dispositions only, and will not address interim orders, or referrals for discipline or health inquiries. It may not proceed with requests it deems frivolous, vexatious, made in bad faith, or otherwise an abuse of process.
What Veterinarians Need to Know About Discipline Hearings at the CVO
The Discipline Committee sits in panels comprised of both professional and public members and fulfills a role that is somewhat comparable to a judge in a trial. The Discipline Committee hears allegations of professional misconduct, or serious neglect, and makes findings of fact as to whether the allegations against a veterinarian are proven.