Medical negligence: practice question

A Forensic Medicine question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Forensic Medicine · Medical negligence

Sample item

Which element is required to establish clinical negligence in general legal principles?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. A breach of duty causing legally recognized harm

Negligence generally requires a duty of care, breach of the applicable standard, causation, and harm. Not every bad outcome means negligent care occurred.

Option by option

  • A. Any adverse outcome despite appropriate care

    Adverse outcomes can occur despite appropriate treatment.

  • B. A patient complaint without evidence

    A complaint should be investigated but is not proof by itself.

  • C. A breach of duty causing legally recognized harm (correct)

    Correct. Causally linked breach and harm are required.

  • D. A difference of professional opinion alone

    Reasonable professional disagreement does not automatically establish breach.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More Forensic Medicine questions

Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is C, A breach of duty causing legally recognized harm. Negligence generally requires a duty of care, breach of the applicable standard, causation, and harm.

Why is "Any adverse outcome despite appropriate care" not the answer?

Adverse outcomes can occur despite appropriate treatment.

Why is "A patient complaint without evidence" not the answer?

A complaint should be investigated but is not proof by itself.

Why is "A difference of professional opinion alone" not the answer?

Reasonable professional disagreement does not automatically establish breach.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Medical negligence in Forensic Medicine. Not every bad outcome means negligent care occurred.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Medical negligence?

Learn postmortem changes with their timelines, and toxicology as poison, sign, test and antidote. Then use the flashcards and the other Forensic Medicine questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.