When a patient suffers harm under a doctor’s care, one of the first legal questions that arises is whether the provider met the standard of care. This concept is central to every medical malpractice case but is often misunderstood. Understanding what the standard of care means, how it is determined, and how it applies to malpractice claims can clarify when a mistake crosses the line into legal negligence.
What Is the Standard of Care?
The standard of care refers to the level and type of care that a reasonably skilled healthcare professional, with a similar background and training, would have provided under the same or similar circumstances. It doesn’t require perfection, only reasonable competence.
If the healthcare provider does not act as a reasonably careful healthcare provider would have acted in the same situation and the patient was harmed as a result, the healthcare provider may have breached the standard of care, which is a key element of medical malpractice.
How the Standard of Care Is Determined
The standard of care depends on several factors:
- Specialty and Training: A cardiologist will be held to a different standard than a family doctor or nurse practitioner.
- Location: Historically, courts considered local practices (“locality rule”), but modern medicine increasingly uses a national standard.
- Circumstances: Emergency care may involve different expectations than a routine check-up.
- Available Resources: A small rural clinic may not have access to the same tools as a large urban hospital.
To establish what the standard of care required in a specific case, attorneys at Anapol Weiss typically rely on expert medical witnesses: doctors in the same specialty who can testify about what a competent provider should have done.
Breach of the Standard of Care
A breach of the standard of care occurs when the provider’s actions (or inaction) fall below the accepted standard. Examples include:
- Failing to order necessary diagnostic tests
- Misreading lab results or imaging
- Performing surgery on the wrong site
- Prescribing the wrong medication or dosage
- Ignoring symptoms that required further evaluation
Not every bad outcome is a breach of the standard of care. Medicine involves uncertainty, and even skilled professionals can make reasonable mistakes. What matters is whether the healthcare provider’s choices were outside what a competent healthcare professional would have done.
Why the Standard of Care Matters
Understanding the standard of care helps patients and families separate unfortunate outcomes from negligent care. It also protects healthcare professionals from being held liable for unavoidable complications or reasonable differences in clinical judgment. Ultimately, the standard of care holds healthcare providers accountable when their conduct falls short, while recognizing that medicine is complex and outcomes can’t always be guaranteed.
Medical malpractice attorneys at Anapol Weiss can assist you if you suspect that a medical provider’s mistake caused you harm. Our team can help evaluate whether the standard of care was breached, consult with medical experts, and guide you through the process of pursuing a claim. Call us today at 215-608-9645 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a consultation.
Disclaimer: This blog is intended for informational purposes only and does not establish an attorney-client relationship. It should not be considered as legal advice. For personalized legal assistance, please consult our team directly.
