Professional negligence in English Law
Professional negligence happens when someone who is supposed to be a professional, like a lawyer or a doctor, doesn't do their job properly and causes harm to their client.
Let's say you go to a doctor because your tummy hurts. The doctor tells you to take some medicine and you trust them because they're a professional. But it turns out the medicine they gave you makes you even sicker. This is an example of professional negligence because the doctor didn't do their job properly and caused harm to you.
In English law, if someone believes they have been harmed by professional negligence, they can make a claim against the professional. However, just because you're unhappy with the outcome of a professional service, it doesn't mean there has been professional negligence.
To prove professional negligence in court, you need to show that there was a duty of care owed by the professional to their client, that the professional breached that duty of care by doing something they shouldn't have or not doing something they should have, and that the breach caused harm or damage to the client.
If these three things can be shown, then the client may be able to claim compensation for the damages they suffered as a result of the professional's negligence.
Let's say you go to a doctor because your tummy hurts. The doctor tells you to take some medicine and you trust them because they're a professional. But it turns out the medicine they gave you makes you even sicker. This is an example of professional negligence because the doctor didn't do their job properly and caused harm to you.
In English law, if someone believes they have been harmed by professional negligence, they can make a claim against the professional. However, just because you're unhappy with the outcome of a professional service, it doesn't mean there has been professional negligence.
To prove professional negligence in court, you need to show that there was a duty of care owed by the professional to their client, that the professional breached that duty of care by doing something they shouldn't have or not doing something they should have, and that the breach caused harm or damage to the client.
If these three things can be shown, then the client may be able to claim compensation for the damages they suffered as a result of the professional's negligence.