Medical malpractice is when a health care provider’s action (or lack thereof) did not meet the appropriate standard of care under the treatment conditions. Malpractice usually presents itself in the form of negligence, but it can also be through a doctor’s recklessness.
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, medical negligence is the third leading cause of death in the U.S., behind heart disease and cancer. In 2012 alone, over $3 billion were spent on medical malpractice claims.