Asheville Veterinary License Defense Lawyer

Asheville Veterinary License Defense Attorney

Being an agriculturally rich state, the health of livestock and animals is of great importance in North Carolina. If you are a licensed vet based in North Carolina and facing issues such as suspension, revocation, or disciplinary action, our Asheville veterinary license defense attorneys can help protect your license.

At Doug Edwards Law, we focus on providing professional license defense services to licensed North Carolina professionals, including veterinarians, facing criminal charges or complaints that may jeopardize their license.

Being licensed professionals ourselves, we understand the impact of having your professional license revoked or suspended. It can have serious ramifications on your career and ultimately your ability to provide for your loved ones.

North Carolina treats complaints against licensed veterinary professionals very seriously. Thus you need a robust team to protect your veterinary license if you are facing a complaint, an investigation, or possible disciplinary action.

Get in touch with the experienced Asheville veterinary license defense lawyers at Doug Edwards Law today. We boast many years of experience defending licensed professionals. Call us at (828) 702-8743 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation to discuss how we can be of help.

What Are the Most Common Complaints Against Veterinarians?

When it comes to veterinarians, people complain most about the following things:

• Criminal activity or getting a felony conviction or other offenses.
• Negligence. Some complaints against veterinarians evolve around incompetence and gross negligence. For instance, failure to dispense timely treatment.
• Practicing veterinary medicine beyond the scope of your certification or without a license.
• Impairment issues such as practicing while intoxicated.
• Failure to maintain proper or adequate records on the animals.
• Managerial issues, such as failing to supervise staff, and failing to oversee the maintenance of clean and sanitary conditions.
• Unprofessional Conduct. Sometimes veterinarians fail to inform animal owners of the actual conditions of their animals or when an animal dies under their care. Failing to communicate with the owners of the animals is also deemed unprofessional.
• Dishonesty, fraud, or misrepresentation. This may include lying to the public that you are a doctor of veterinary medicine.
• Compliance in regards to controlled substances, prescription medicines, etc.
• Lack of proper control over animals.

The patient’s owners, a work colleague, or other veterinary medical practitioners can make a complaint which could result in the following disciplinary actions:

• A cease and desist order
• A public reprimand
• Denial of a license request
• License suspension or
• License revocation

When facing a complaint, get a professional license defense attorney to help protect your legal rights.

What Should You Expect During the Administrative Review and Investigation Process?

After the Board of Veterinary Medicine in North Carolina gets a complaint, you will be informed of the allegations by the Executive Director.

You will then be required to respond to the allegations meted against you within 20 days and in writing. Your response is then provided to the individual making the allegation(s), and that individual has to reply to your response within 20 days.

Expect the Committee on Investigations comprising of 3 board members to investigate the matter and:

• Assign the complaint made against you to the Board’s investigator who shall then prepare a written report and submit the same to the Committee.
• Invite both the accused party and the complainant before the Committee to record their oral statements though neither party will be compelled to attend.
• Conduct further investigations if the Committee deems it appropriate.

Once the Committee is done with the investigation, they may either:

• Issue a reprimand
• Dismiss the charges
• File a Notice of Hearing for disciplinary issues, or
• Issue a letter of caution.

What Types of Penalties Can a Veterinarian Face?

When a licensed North Carolina-based veterinarian violates rules and regulations established by the North Carolina Board of Veterinary Medicine, several civil penalties can be imposed on them.

For each violation of the North Carolina Veterinary Practice Act, the Board can levy up to $5,000 in civil penalties.

There are criteria the board uses to determine the penalty for every violation. They consider the following factors:

• The extent of harm to the health of the animal under the veterinarian’s care or the general public’s health.
• Whether there were any elements of fraud involved in the violation either to the board or to the client, or both.
• The period and severity of the violation.
• Whether there were any prior disciplinary issues with the Board.
• Whether and to what extent the licensee profited from the violation.
• Whether the violation was intentional or reflects a persistent pattern.

Why Should You Hire a Veterinarian License Defense Lawyer?

One of the first questions a veterinarian will ask themselves when their professional license is on the line is whether they should hire a veterinary license defense lawyer. Obviously, there will be costs and fees when you enlist an attorney. But considering how little lawyer fees are compared to the consequences of not having the best possible veterinary license defense.

Here’s why you should hire an experienced veterinary license defense attorney:

They Understand the Rules and Processes of the North Carolina Board of Veterinary Medicine.

One of the most important reasons to hire a veterinary license defense attorney is that they understand the inner workings of the NC Veterinarian Medical Board. A seasoned Asheville veterinary license defense attorney knows the intricate workings of the board and can help navigate you through the processes.

They Know the Right People.

Also, having worked in the legal field for a long time, veterinary license defense attorneys begin to build relationships within their legal field. Having an attorney that has good relationships with the right people could have a decisive impact on the outcome of your case. This relationship could help to negotiate a softer penalty or protect your veterinary license.

They Have Experience With Similar Cases.

An experienced veterinary license defense lawyer has specifically dealt with cases relating to veterinary license defense. They have experience in dealing with cases that may be similar to yours. At Doug Edwards Law, our veterinary defense lawyers have numerous years of practice under their belts. Our attorneys know what they need to do to ensure our clients get the best outcome.

They Can Protect Your Future.

An experienced veterinary license defense lawyer can help protect your future. Losing a professional license isn’t something you can just brush off. It means losing a career that you worked so hard for and a livelihood. A good veterinary license defense attorney can help you protect your NC veterinarian license from suspension or revocation thus securing your future. They can also negotiate reduced penalties, if possible.

They Can Advise You On The Different Ways Your Case Could Go.

Attorneys know the possible penalties or disciplinary actions you might face. They can advise you on your veterinary license issues and the steps you should take.

How Will Doug Edwards Law Defend Your NC Veterinarian License?

First and foremost Doug Edwards Law is candid with you about the state of affairs. Having a career and livelihood at stake, we will scrutinize the facts of the case.

After giving you a sincere point of view on your situation, we begin to investigate the allegations to build a defense for you. If you hire Doug Edwards Law early enough, we will help respond to accusations and complaints.

In most cases where a professional’s actions or ethics are called into question, there may reach a point when you will be grilled by investigators from the licensing board. The veterinary license defense attorneys at Doug Edwards Law can help you get ready for meetings with these investigators.

Without an attorney to prepare you for the meeting with the investigator, you might end up ruining your defense without knowing by saying something incriminating. If you were to put yourself in an incriminating position, it would be very difficult for an attorney to defend you.

North Carolina law doesn’t require you to get a veterinary license defense attorney to represent you. It is not obligatory. When you enlist an Asheville veterinary license defense lawyer from Doug Edwards Law, you’re getting someone who knows and understands the game. We are familiar with the processes including the nature of the investigations. We will prepare you for the lines of questioning to anticipate.

While hiring an attorney is totally voluntary, it favors the odds of successfully protecting your license.

Contact Our Experienced Asheville Veterinary License Defense Attorneys!

Unlike cases in courtrooms, cases before the Veterinary License Board follow a special set of rules. Given how this board handles matters, the final verdict of your case may depend on having a seasoned lawyer in your corner who has prior experience with similar cases.

At Doug Edwards Law, we offer years of experience representing licensed professionals and providing veterinary license defense. Our experienced veterinary license defense attorneys are well versed in this board’s processes and rules. We can help steer your case in a positive direction.

For more information about how Doug Edwards Law can help with your veterinary license defense, call our Asheville law office at (828) 702-8743 or fill out our online contact form.