Insurance for Optometrists

female business owner protected by insurance for optometrists

Keep a Close Eye on Risk With Insurance for Optometrists

You help patients see the world more clearly, but what about protecting the vision you have for your practice? Get the insurance coverage you need to help navigate the risks you face every day and stay focused on your patients. 
 
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female business owner protected by insurance for optometrists

What Is Optometry Liability Insurance?

Optometry liability insurance is made up of different types of business insurance coverages designed to help protect you from claims that your practice caused bodily injury or property damage to someone else.
 

Why Might I Need Optometrist Insurance?

As an optometrist, you could be held liable for any injuries, damages or errors that occur while a patient is under your care. You can also be held responsible for worker disputes and business-related car accidents. Without insurance for optometrists, you’d have to pay for expensive claims out of pocket.
 
Optometry liability insurance, also known as optometrist insurance, helps protect you from the financial and legal burden of risks like:
 
  • Patient injury: If a patient trips over a rug in your office and gets hurt.
  • Equipment failure: If a machine breaks down and needs repairs or an office computer stops working.
  • Property damage: If a pipe bursts and ruins your furniture or a fire destroys supplies.
  • Professional errors: If you mistakenly provide the wrong lenses or miss the early signs of a developing condition.
male small business owner protected by optometry liability insurance

Who May Need Insurance for Optometrists?

The Hartford understands the unique risks optometrists face. Our insurance solutions can help protect a variety of eye professionals, including:
 
  • Optometrists
  • Ophthalmologist
  • Optician
  • Orthoptist
  • Pediatric ophthalmologist

What Type of Insurance Do I Need as an Optometrist?

Many optometrists start with a Business Owner’s Policy (BOP) because of the peace of mind it can provide. It combines three types of coverage into a single policy to help protect your practice from claims that could come up during normal operations.
 
A BOP includes:
 
General liability insurance to help protect you from claims that your optometry office caused bodily injury or property damage to someone else.
 
Commercial property insurance to help protect the owned or rented building you use to operate your optometry business, as well as the tools and equipment you rely on. These can include:
 
  • Ophthalmoscopy
  • Tonometer
  • Retinal camera
  • Slit lamp
  • Autorefractor
  • Keratometer
  • Phoropter
  • Snellen chart
Business income insurance to help replace your lost income if you can’t operate your office temporarily because of covered property damage caused by fire, wind or theft.
 
The Hartford understands that no two optometrists are alike. It’s why we’ve made it easy for you to add more coverage to your BOP to create unique policy solutions.
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How Much Does Insurance for Optometrists Cost? 

What you pay for optometry liability insurance will vary because every business is unique. These are the average costs The Hartford’s small business customers pay for some common types of coverage:**
 
  • BOP: $2,334 a year, or about $195 a month
  • Stand-alone general liability insurance: $891 a year, or $74 a month
  • Workers’ compensation insurance: $628 a year, or about $52 a month
It’s important to remember that every optometrist has specific needs. Insurers can also use different factors to determine rates. So, your insurance cost may be different than the average. The best way to find out your practice’s insurance costs is to get a free online quote.
male small business owner happy to easily get coi for optometrists

Proof of Insurance When You Need It

With The Hartford, you can get your proof of insurance online 24/7.

Covering Your Operations

Imagine a patient slips on a recently cleaned floor, a power surge damages your examination equipment or a prescription error leads to a claim against your practice. When you face unexpected challenges, insurance for optometrists can step in and help minimize disruptions to your routine. 
Water damage is costly, with about 75% of losses caused by plumbing or HVAC system failures rather than storms.1
general liability for optometrists

General Liability Insurance

“A patient slipped on our sidewalk and sued us, claiming we hadn’t kept it clear of ice. Suddenly, we were dealing with an expensive lawsuit.”
 
General liability insurance helps cover claims that your optometry practice or vision clinic hurt somebody else. It can help pay their medical bills or your legal costs if you get sued.
business income insurance for optometrists

Business Income Insurance

“Over the weekend, a pipe burst in our office and flooded several rooms. We had to shut down for almost a month while they made repairs.”
 
Business income insurance can help you continue paying ongoing expenses like rent, payroll and utilities if you can’t operate temporarily because of a covered event, like property theft, fire or water damage. 

Taking Care of Your Team

Whether they’re assisting with fittings or scheduling new patients, your team is the backbone of your practice. But what happens if an employee gets injured on the job? The right insurance can help cover their medical costs and lost wages, so they can focus on getting better and returning to work.
In 2023, over 2.3 million work-related injury cases were opened, with healthcare and social assistance leading at 471,600 cases.2
workers compensation for optometrists

Workers’ Compensation Insurance

“My tech injured her wrist while adjusting equipment for a patient’s eye exam. It seemed minor at first, but she ended up needing medical treatment and time off to recover.”
 
Workers’ compensation insurance gives your team benefits to help them recover from work-related injuries or illnesses. It can help pay their medical bills and replace lost wages if they can’t work.
commercial auto insurance for optometrists

Commercial Auto Insurance

“My office manager was on her way to pick up supplies when she lost control of the car and crashed into someone’s mailbox.”
 
Commercial auto insurance can help protect your employees on the road if they use a company-owned vehicle for work.

Protecting Your Property

From autorefractors to retinal imaging systems, you rely on precision equipment to provide quality care. What happens if a sudden power outage damages your machines, a break-in results in stolen optics or a burst pipe ruins your waiting room? Insurance can help pay for repairs and replacements, so you can get back to helping patients quickly.
The equipment and tools optometrists use daily can cost more than $100,000.3
commercial property insurance for optometrists

Commercial Property Insurance

“Someone broke into my office, damaged the slit lamp and phoropter in the exam rooms and stole our computers.”
 
Commercial property insurance helps protect your owned or rented building, as well as equipment, tools, supplies and inventory you use to operate your eye clinic or optometry practice.
spoilage insurance for optometrists

Spoilage Insurance

“Our fridge malfunctioned overnight, and by the time we caught it, an entire batch of medication had gone bad.”
 
Spoilage insurance helps cover the cost of replacing spoiled or ruined supplies and inventory, like medications, that need to maintain a certain temperature to stay marketable.

Insurance for Optometrists You Can Trust

As an insurer with more than 200 years of experience, The Hartford understands the unique risks optometrists face. That’s why we designed our insurance solutions to meet the needs of eye care professionals. At The Hartford, we’re proud to help protect the livelihoods of small business owners, so they can focus on serving their customers.
 
Find out more about other professions we insure:
 

Frequently Asked Questions About Insurance for Optometrists

Without insurance for optometrists, a patient injury, employee dispute or a work-related car accident could leave you paying for costly legal fees and medical bills out of pocket. Even something entirely out of your control, like contaminated water in your area, could force your practice to shut down and miss out on critical revenue. Not only do these things impact your own livelihood, but they can also take a toll on your entire team. A single unexpected event could rapidly drain your resources and prove devastating to your small practice.
Optometrist insurance is a collection of coverages designed to help protect your practice from various claims. It can help cover your legal expenses if you're sued and help pay medical bills if your employee is injured. It can also pay to repair or replace stolen or damaged property, including your specialty equipment. If you choose to include additional coverages for commercial auto, water contamination, lost records or employment practices liability, your insurance can help protect you from all sorts of common and uncommon risks.
The best way to get optometrist insurance is to get a quote. We’ve made it fast and easy for you to get the coverage you need.
female business owner happily works after getting optometrists insurance quote

Stay Focused on Your Patients With Insurance for Optometrists

Choose insurance that helps protect your practice, your equipment and your team.
 
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Related Articles

 
 
Last Updated: February 13, 2026
 
1 Risk and Insurance, "Water Damage Claims Continue To Drive Non-CAT Property Losses,” viewed March 2025.
 
2 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses in 2023,” viewed March 2025.
 
3 Dr. Scott Colonna, “How Much Does It Cost To Open an Optometry Practice?” viewed March 2025
** Costs, premiums, and coverages mentioned are estimates and are not guaranteed. Actual cost, premium, and coverage are determined at the time of quote or issue and are specific to an individual risk. Premiums are based on information provided to The Hartford, including, but not limited to, underwriting and rating criteria. All examples included on this website or in an advertisement are intended for informational purposes only and are not an offer or a guarantee of premium or coverage. Coverage and products described are subject to the terms and conditions found in the policy contract. Any educational information provided about available coverages does not modify the policy language or imply that any claim is covered. Products are not available in all states or for all businesses.
This page outlines in general terms the coverages that may be afforded under a policy from The Hartford. All policies must be examined carefully to determine suitability for your needs and to identify any exclusions, limitations or any other terms and conditions that may specifically affect coverage. In the event of a conflict, the terms and conditions of the policy prevail.
 
All Hartford coverages and services described on this page may be offered by one or more of the property and casualty insurance company subsidiaries of The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. In Arizona, California, New Hampshire, Texas, and Washington by Hartford Fire Insurance Company, Hartford Casualty Insurance Company, Hartford Accident & Indemnity Company, Hartford Underwriters Insurance Company, Twin City Fire Insurance Company, Pacific Insurance Company, Limited, Sentinel Insurance Company, LTD (CA license #8701), Hartford Lloyd's Insurance Company, Hartford Insurance Company of Illinois, Hartford Insurance Company of the Midwest, Trumbull Insurance Company, Hartford Insurance Company of the Southeast, and Property & Casualty Insurance Company of Hartford and its property and casualty insurance company affiliates, One Hartford Plaza, Hartford, CT 06155.
 
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The Hartford shall not be liable for any damages in connection with the use of any information provided on this page. Please consult with your insurance agent/broker or insurance company to determine specific coverage needs as this information is intended to be educational in nature.
 
The information contained on this page should not be construed as specific legal, HR, financial, or insurance advice and is not a guarantee of coverage. In the event of a loss or claim, coverage determinations will be subject to the policy language, and any potential claim payment will be determined following a claim investigation.
 
Certain coverages vary by state and may not be available to all businesses. All Hartford coverages and services described on this page may be offered by one or more of the property and casualty insurance company subsidiaries of The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. listed in the Legal Notice.
 
The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc., (NYSE: HIG) operates through its subsidiaries under the brand name, The Hartford, and is headquartered in Hartford, CT. For additional details, please read The Hartford’s Legal Notice.
 
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