What are the four Ds of negligence?

The correct set describing the four Ds of negligence in the context of professional liability and medical malpractice includes Duty, Dereliction, Direct Cause, and Damages. This framework helps in assessing a negligence claim:

1. Duty refers to the obligation a professional has to adhere to a standard of care and protect the interests of their patients or clients.

2. Dereliction indicates a breach of this duty, meaning that the professional failed to meet the expected standard of care in their actions or treatment.

3. Direct Cause establishes a direct link between the dereliction of duty and the harm suffered by the patient or client, showing that the breach directly resulted in the damages.

4. Damages represent the actual harm or injury that the patient suffered, which can be quantified in terms of economic losses, physical injuries, or emotional distress.

This four-part framework is crucial for legal practitioners and healthcare professionals alike as it enables them to understand the essential components that must be proven in a negligence lawsuit. Other options may contain terms that do not align with the legal definitions used in assessing negligence, which could lead to confusion in understanding how these principles apply in real-world scenarios. For instance, "danger," "disclosure," and "