Negligence in plain English

Failure to use legally required care under the circumstances.

Where this term may appear

Legal analysis of duty, breach, causation, and harm.

What to verify

Ask which facts and expert opinions support negligence in this specific case; the term should not be inferred from a bad medical outcome alone.

Why context matters

Negligence is one part of a larger liability analysis; the other elements and the governing state law still matter.

Use official and primary sources for current medical, licensing, court, and state-law information.