What is the difference between a medical malpractice claim and a negligence claim?

A medical malpractice claim is a legal action made against a healthcare professional or facility that has caused harm to a patient as a result of negligence. This is a type of negligence claim, but is more specific because it is specifically related to medical care and treatment. A medical malpractice claim implies that the doctor or other medical professional was careless and failed to adhere to the accepted standard of care. This means that the doctor did not act or advise a patient in a way that any other doctor would have under similar circumstances. A negligence claim can be taken against anyone who is careless and causes harm to another person. For example, a negligence claim may be brought against an individual for a car accident, a slip and fall injury on someone’s property, or any other type of carelessness that causes harm to another person. Medical malpractice and negligence claims are both different types of civil claims. However, a medical malpractice case is more specialized because it involves a doctor or other medical provider who is held accountable for treating a patient incorrectly or failing to provide the patient with adequate care. Thus, a medical malpractice claim must meet a much higher standard of proof than a negligence claim.

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