Medical Assistant Prep / Unit 27 MAS 658 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
The Four Elements of Malpractice
The idea
To prove malpractice in court, four elements must all be established.
In practice
The first element is duty: a professional relationship existed, creating a duty of reasonable care. The second is breach: the standard of care was not met, and harm was a foreseeable result. The third is cause: the breach caused the injury. The fourth is harm: the injury resulted in damages. If any one element is missing, the claim fails.
Where people slip
The record is often the main evidence of what happened in a disputed case. Accurate, timely documentation of what you did, and why you did it, is what shows that the standard of care was met. A missing or vague entry leaves the question open, and a court cannot assume care that was never recorded.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Builds on
Unlocks
- Nothing yet depends on this.
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