What is the difference between professional negligence and ordinary negligence?

Professional negligence and ordinary negligence are both forms of negligence laws. Negligence is a legal term used to describe when someone has failed to exercise reasonable care and this failure has caused harm to another person or their property. Professional negligence occurs when a professional, such as a doctor or lawyer, fails to meet the professional standards of care that they are expected to adhere to. Professional negligence differs from ordinary negligence in that the professional is expected to possess a higher level of skill and knowledge than someone who is not a professional. Therefore, the professional is held to a higher standard of care, and the law considers their breach of duty as a more serious offense. An example of professional negligence would be a doctor failing to diagnose a disease or provide accurate medical advice. In contrast, ordinary negligence is behavior that does not rise to the level of professional negligence. A good example of ordinary negligence would be someone who is not a professional failing to take reasonable care when driving. In Washington, if someone is found to be guilty of professional negligence, they can face more serious legal consequences than in cases of ordinary negligence. This is because the law recognizes that professionals should be held to a higher standard of care compared to someone who is not a professional.

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What is the difference between professional negligence and ordinary negligence?

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