If a medical professional makes an error that results in injury to the patient, the patient may be able to sue the negligent party or parties for monetary damages to compensate him or her for the medical injury. Professional negligence means a negligent act or omission by a health care provider in the rendering of professional services which is the proximate cause of a personal injury or wrongful death, provided that such services are within the scope of services for which the provider is licensed.
The term medical malpractice is generally used to describe any treatment, lack of treatment, or departure from accepted standards of medical care on the part of a health care provider that results in injury to the patient. Some examples of medical malpractice include incorrect diagnosis, failure to treat, improper treatment, delay in treatment, prescription errors, surgical errors, rendition of services without informed consent, etc.
