Medical malpractice is a form of medical negligence. In everyday conversation, when we use the term “negligence,” we often mean that someone was careless, sloppy, or inattentive. It may also suggest that an individual did something they were not supposed to do or something they shouldn’t have done. However, in the legal context, negligence is more complex; it’s not just about poor care but poor care that results in harm. In the realm of medical malpractice, we refer to this as “substandard care,” and the key distinction between the everyday definition of negligence and actionable medical negligence is the issue of causation of harm.

Causation, as a legal term, refers to the relationship between the actions of the defendant (usually a medical professional or institution) and the end result of the claimant’s well-being and health. Causation plays a critical role in medical malpractice cases, as it is used to establish a connection between the actions or decisions of the medical provider and the lasting effects, typically an injury, suffered by the patient.