medical malpractice
Harmful physician error
Medical malpractice is professional negligence by a healthcare provider—a doctor, nurse, or hospital that fails to meet accepted standards of care, resulting in harm to a patient.
The term appears in legal contexts where patients seek compensation for injuries: She filed a medical malpractice suit after the surgeon left a sponge inside her.
Malpractice insurance protects practitioners against such claims.
Civil court proceeding
- plaintiffCivil case initiator
- defendantParty facing charges
- attorneyLicensed legal representative
- trialJudicial examination of claims
deposition · testimony · verdict · settlement · damages · compensation · expert witness · discovery
Physical or psychological harm
- misdiagnosisIncorrect identification of ailment
- wrongful deathDeath caused by another's fault
- surgical errorMistake during an operation
- delayed diagnosisMedical conclusion reached late
infection · complications · disability · suffering · paralysis · brain damage · nerve damage · disfigurement
Permission given with understanding
- duty of careObligation to act reasonably
- Hippocratic oathDoctor's ethical commitment
- fiduciaryAgent bound by loyalty
- accountabilityObligation for one's actions
patient rights · confidentiality · disclosure · trust · professionalism · integrity · bioethics · autonomy
Inattention causing mistakes
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
- derelictionAbandonment of duty
- omissionFailure to include
- incompetenceLack of required skill
failure · recklessness · misdiagnosis · error · breach · deviation · inattention · lapse
Licensed medical doctor
- surgeonPhysician who operates
- hospitalMedical treatment facility
- nurseHealthcare provider, bedside
- anesthesiologistDoctor administering surgical sedation
obstetrician · patient · clinic · operating room · emergency room · procedure · surgery · diagnosis
Legal or financial obligation
- coverageExtent of inclusion
- premiumAdded cost for better
- indemnityProtection against financial loss
- underwritingRisk evaluation and acceptance
carrier · policy · claim · risk management · defense costs · cap · payout · actuarial
lawsuit
Civil court proceeding
trial · deposition · testimony · verdict · settlement · damages · compensation · expert witness · discovery · allegation
injury
Physical or psychological harm
- misdiagnosisIncorrect identification of ailment
- wrongful deathDeath caused by another's fault
- surgical errorMistake during an operation
delayed diagnosis · infection · complications · disability · suffering · paralysis · brain damage · nerve damage · disfigurement · amputation
informed consent
Permission given with understanding
- duty of careObligation to act reasonably
- Hippocratic oathDoctor's ethical commitment
- fiduciaryAgent bound by loyalty
accountability · patient rights · confidentiality · disclosure · trust · professionalism · integrity · bioethics · autonomy · beneficence
carelessness
Inattention causing mistakes
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
- derelictionAbandonment of duty
- omissionFailure to include
incompetence · failure · recklessness · misdiagnosis · error · breach · deviation · inattention · lapse · disregard
physician
Licensed medical doctor
anesthesiologist · obstetrician · patient · clinic · operating room · emergency room · procedure · surgery · diagnosis · treatment
liability
Legal or financial obligation
underwriting · carrier · policy · claim · risk management · defense costs · cap · payout · actuarial · reinsurance
- legal fieldscivil law, criminal law, administrative law, common law, civil procedure
- civil trialsplaintiff, lawsuit, jury trial, bench trial, jury
- health lawhealthcare laws, health law, drug regulation, insurance law, vaccination mandates
- lawsuitslawsuit, litigation, civil suit, suit, court case
- malpracticeprofessional negligence, standard of care, duty of care, breach of duty, misdiagnosis
- medical lawinformed consent, duty of care, patient rights, standard of care, professional conduct
medicine, medical, medication, malfunction, medicinal, medicate, medications, malfeasance, maltreatment