Medical Malpractice Law
Medical malpractice is a doctor’s failure to exercise the degree of care and skill that a physician or surgeon of the same medical specialty would use under similar circumstances. In other words, it is negligence from a health professional that leads to injury. It is also commonly called med mal, and it is more prevalent than some believe. In fact, it is estimated that between 50% - 65% of all American doctors will be sued at least once in their careers. This is quite alarming, considering the amount of individuals in this field.
In order for a medical malpractice suit to be valid, certain criteria must be met. The following should be proven:
The health care professional owed the patient a legal duty. Said duty was broken, where the professional did not abide by the required standards. An injury was caused due to the breach of duty. This injury caused damages to the victim (monetary, physical, emotional, etc.)