Getting a notification that your professional license is under review and you need to attend a board hearing is a scary situation. No one wants to have their license suspended or revoked when they have spent so many years in school and undergoing training to obtain and keep their license in good standing.
Your daily life depends on your ability to practice what you love, and without your license, you can lose your practice, clients, home, and more. When your future is at stake, you need a Downey professional license defense lawyer from Simmrin Law Group who takes your future seriously.
How These Investigations Come About
Your professional license can be investigated for several circumstances, and you must take these accusations seriously and contact our Downey professional license defense attorneys. A board investigation can happen because:
- Peer review
- Patient complaints of substandard care
- Staff complaints
- Self-reporting of substance abuse
- Medical malpractice settlements or lawsuits
- National practitioner data Bank reports
If a patient is unhappy with their care, they can contact the relevant board and file a complaint against you. Conversely, you did not treat the patient differently than you have anyone else, and you thought the care you offered was up to par with state requirements.
You might not even remember the patient interaction, but now you are under investigation. That is all it takes for a disciplinary investigation.
Reasons Why Licenses Are Revoked or Suspended
The licensing agency that gave you a license to practice in California is responsible for setting criteria for licensing and can take action when necessary under the guise of protecting the public. Many reasons exist for them to revoke, refuse or suspend a professional licensee, including:
- Criminal convictions
- Gross negligence
- Regulatory violation
- Sting operations
- Application fraud
- Conduct involving moral turpitude
- Conduct adversely affecting one’s fitness
When a licensing agency believes there is wrongdoing, they will take action to suspend or revoke your license. If they think your transgression is severe, they can refer your case to the state Attorney General for criminal prosecution.
You Have Options to Protect Your Professional License
When your professional license is at stake, you must explore all your legal options and ensure you are ready for a hearing. The regulatory boards must afford a hearing to discuss your future. You need a professional license defense lawyer in Downey, CA, to prepare a defense even if you believe the claims are invalid. Losing your license has devastating consequences.
A license revocation hearing happens as the last step to resolve your case before going before an Administrative Law Judge. These hearings are less formal trials, but they can take place in a courtroom or board room. Before the hearing, you will have time for discovery, where we will gather evidence to be presented.
If you cannot resolve your case during a hearing, we will go before the ALJ, who will evaluate the evidence and determine if the charges are supported. They will also decide the fate of your professional license.
Appeals and Reinstatement
You can have an adverse license decision that hinders you from practicing. After a decision, our Downey professional licensing defense lawyers can file an appeal. In some cases, we can craft a reinstatement strategy contingent on your case’s factors.
The licensing board’s reinstatement process is critical to our efforts and strategies. It is an arduous process, and you will have a financial, emotional, and reputational toll that is impossible to bear.
Reinstatement action can take some time, but we will move quickly to show the court you are not a danger to the public and your investigation is baseless. The board does not like to be wrong and will employ various tactics to keep your license suspension or revocation set in stone. They don’t care that the rest of your life hinges on your ability to practice, and you cannot simply change careers.
Simmrin Law Group does understand, which is why we fight for license reinstatement.
The Professional Licenses We Defend
The licensing board investigators will find a way to revoke or suspend your license, even if it is based on a lie. There are many professionals throughout Downey, and you have worked most of your life to get to this point. You cannot allow an error or false accusation to hinder your future.
Professional licenses we defend in Downey include:
- Optometrists
- Physicians
- Dentists
- Pharmacist
- Psychologist
- Nurse practitioners
- Registered nurses
- Mental health practitioners
- Veterinarians
- Vet clinics
- California Physician Assistant Board
- California Board of Pediatric Medicine
- Marriage and family therapist
The state and federal governments require licenses for various careers and practices. There are professional and business licenses to ensure everyone works per the standards outlined by the state licensing board. You must contact a professional license defense attorney in Downey, CA, when your career is in danger.
Timing is critical to your future, and you must contact Simmrin Law Group upon receiving notice of an investigation.
Potential Outcomes of Disciplinary Actions
You are scared when you go before the board, and your entire life can change depending on their decision. There are many possible outcomes for your case, including:
- Probation
- Withdrawal of the accusation
- License suspension
- Public reprimand
- License surrender
- Citation or fines
- License revocation
- Stipulated settlement
Many of these outcomes can hinder you from practicing and earning a living. You must undergo reinstatement procedures to get your license back, including filing appeals and devising a plan that the court agrees on to get you back to work.
Simmrin Law Group Helps Many Different Professionals
We believe you deserve legal representation when your livelihood is on the line. California gives you the right to legal recourse when facing a professional license suspension or investigation. When your professional license is at stake, your career, reputation, finances, and life are on the line, and we will urgently look for solutions.
You don’t have much time to save your professional career. Contact the Simmrin Law Group for a consultation with a Downey professional license defense lawyer.