When you are literally putting your life in the hands of another person, you should be able to trust them completely. Unfortunately, the trust between a doctor and patient is sometimes broken. Everyone makes mistakes – even doctors – but medical professionals are held to a higher standard because of the level of responsibility that they have to provide care that protects a patient’s health and well-being. Medical malpractice occurs when a doctor fails to meet these standards and causes harm to a patient through their negligence. There are certain elements that you must prove in order to have a case for medical malpractice.
Three Components of Malpractice Cases
To pursue a medical malpractice case, you must show that all of the following occurred:
Violation of the Standard of Care: The most basic element of a medical malpractice case is that your doctor committed an act of negligence, or violated a standard of care. There are certain practices that are considered acceptable in the medical field, and if your doctor deviated from them, you may have a case for establishing negligence. Examples of negligence can include: