What is the difference between professional negligence and ordinary negligence?

The main difference between professional negligence and ordinary negligence is the standard of care that is expected when making decisions. Professional negligence is when a professional fails to take the necessary steps to uphold a certain level of care, or ‘standard’, while ordinary negligence refers to someone who fails to uphold the same standard of care as a reasonable person would. In Arizona, professional liability law holds professionals, like doctors, lawyers, and accountants, to a higher standard of care. Professionals must exercise their knowledge and skill in a way that is expected of someone in their profession. Common examples of professional negligence in the legal profession include a lack of legal advice, failure to meet filing deadlines, or miscommunication between the lawyer and client. On the other hand, ordinary negligence has a much lower standard of care. Generally, ordinary negligence is when someone fails to act as a reasonable person would in a given situation. For example, if someone fails to look both ways before crossing the street and gets hit by a car. The difference between professional negligence and ordinary negligence hinges on the standard of care. Professionals are required to uphold a higher standard of care and owe a duty of care to their clients. Ordinary negligence is reserved for when someone fails to exercise a reasonable level of care.

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What is the difference between professional negligence and ordinary negligence?

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