negligence

The failure of a health care professional to meet his or her responsibilities to a patient, with resultant injury. There are four elements of negligence: duty owed, breach of duty or standard of care, proximate cause or causal connection (between the breach and damages), and damages or injuries or harm. Medical professionals are legally liable for their own negligence or can be held liable for negligence of others of which they have knowledge but fail to report or intercede.

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