# Malpractice > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Malpractice > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Malpractice.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malpractice > Source revision: 1308247054 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Area of law concerning negligence by professionals For other uses, see [Malpractice (disambiguation)](/source/Malpractice_(disambiguation)). Part of the common law series Tort law (Outline) Trespass to the person Assault Battery False imprisonment Intentional infliction of emotional distress Property torts Trespass land chattels Conversion Dignitary torts Appropriation Defamation Unintentional False light Invasion of privacy Intrusion on seclusion Breach of confidence Abuse of process Malicious prosecution Sexual torts Alienation of affections Criminal conversation Seduction Breach of promise Negligent torts Negligent infliction of emotional distress Employment-related Entrustment Malpractice legal medical Principles of negligence Duty of care Trespassers Licensees Invitees Standard of care Reasonable person Proximate cause Res ipsa loquitur Restitutio ad integrum Rescue doctrine Duty to rescue Comparative responsibility Contributory negligence Attractive nuisance Strict and absolute liability Product liability Ultrahazardous activity Deep pockets Nuisance Public nuisance Rylands v Fletcher Economic torts Conspiracy Restraint of trade Insurance bad faith (American law) Fraud Tortious interference Defences Assumption of risk Consent Necessity Statute of limitations Self-defense Defense of others Defence of property Shopkeeper's privilege Neutral reportage Liability Intentional torts Last clear chance Eggshell skull Vicarious liability Respondeat superior Volenti non fit injuria Ex turpi causa non oritur actio Joint and several liability Market share liability State liability Transferred intent Legal remedy Damages Punitive Special Incidental Injunction Tracing Detinue Replevin Trover Other topics in tort law Tort reform Non-economic damages caps Quasi-tort Delict (term used for torts in some civil and mixed legal systems) Conflict of tort laws Private attorney general Class action By jurisdiction Australia Canada China England and Wales European Union India Japan Taiwan United States Other common law areas Contracts Criminal law Evidence Property Wills, trusts, and estates Law portal v t e In the [law](/source/Law) of [torts](/source/Tort), **malpractice**, also known as [professional negligence](/source/Professional_negligence), is an "instance of [negligence](/source/Negligence) or incompetence on the part of a [professional](/source/Professional)".[1] Professionals who may become the subject of malpractice actions include: - **medical professionals**: a [medical malpractice](/source/Medical_malpractice) claim may be brought against a [doctor](/source/Physician) or other healthcare provider who fails to exercise the degree of [care](/source/Duty_of_care) and skill that a similarly situated professional of the same [medical specialty](/source/Medical_specialty) would provide under the circumstances.[2] - **lawyers**: a [legal malpractice](/source/Legal_malpractice) claim may be brought against a lawyer who fails to render services with the level of skill, care, and diligence that a [reasonable](/source/Reasonable_person) lawyer would apply under similar circumstances.[1] - **financial professionals**: professionals such as accountants, financial planners, and stockbrokers may be subject to claims for professional negligence based upon their failure to meet professional standards when providing services to their clients. - **architects and engineers**: a construction professional may be accused of professional negligence for failing to meet professional standards in the design and construction of buildings and structures. ## Proof of malpractice Professional negligence actions require a professional relationship between the professional and the person claiming to have been injured by malpractice.[3] For example, to sue a lawyer for malpractice the person bringing the claim must have had an attorney-client relationship with the lawyer.[4] To succeed in a malpractice action under typical malpractice law, the person making a malpractice claim must prove that the professional committed an act of culpable negligence and that the person suffered an injury due to the professional's error.[5] ## Medical malpractice Main article: [Medical malpractice](/source/Medical_malpractice) Medical malpractice is a highly complex area of law, with laws that differ significantly between [jurisdictions](/source/Jurisdiction).[6] In Australia, medical malpractice and the rise in claims against individual and institutional providers have led to the evolution of [patient advocates](/source/Patient_advocate).[7] ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-blacks_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-blacks_1-1) Malpractice definition, Garner, Bryan A. (2009). [*Black's Law Dictionary*](https://archive.org/details/blacksl_xxx_2009_00_5869) (9 ed.). West. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0314199492](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0314199492). Retrieved 7 December 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Malpractice"](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malpractice). *Merriam-Webster.com*. Merriam-Webster, Inc. Retrieved 7 December 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Jacobs, Douglas (1992). [*Suicide and Clinical Practice*](https://archive.org/details/suicideclinicalp00jaco). American Psychiatric Association Publishing. p. [148](https://archive.org/details/suicideclinicalp00jaco/page/148). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0880484551](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0880484551). Retrieved 7 December 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Bresnahan, Pamela A. (September 1999). ["Beware the Cocktail Party Client"](https://apps.americanbar.org/legalservices/lpl/downloads/journalsept99.pdf) (PDF). *American Bar Association*. Retrieved 7 December 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** See, e.g., Bal, B. Sonny (February 2009). ["An Introduction to Medical Malpractice in the United States"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2628513). *Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research*. **467** (2): 339–347. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1007/s11999-008-0636-2](https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs11999-008-0636-2). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [2628513](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2628513). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [19034593](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19034593). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-marcus_6-0)** Marcus, Paul (1981). ["Book Review of Medical Malpractice Law: A Comparative Law Study of Civil Responsibility Arising from Medical Care"](http://scholarship.law.wm.edu/facpubs/1138/). *Hastings International and Comparative Law Review*: 235–243. Retrieved 7 December 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Kamaker, Dorothy (September 26, 2015). ["Patient advocacy services ensure optimum health outcomes"](http://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace-relations/patient-advocacy-20150920-gjr53j.html). *smh.com.au*. [The Sydney Morning Herald](/source/The_Sydney_Morning_Herald). Retrieved August 23, 2016. Authority control databases GND This law-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Law-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3ALaw-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Law-stub) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Malpractice](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malpractice) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malpractice?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.