▲蘇狀師談醫療過失
Medical malpractice in the United States(cited from wiki)
美國之醫療失當簡概

Medical malpractice is professional negligence by act or omission by a health care provider in which the treatment provided falls below the accepted standard of practice in the medical community and causes injury or death to the patient, with most cases involving medical error. Claims of medical malpractice, when pursued in US courts, processed as civil torts. Sometimes an act of medical malpractice will also constitute a criminal act, as in the case of the death of Michael Jackson.
醫療失當是由醫療提供者於施行治療之過失行為或疏忽所致，因其未能依循醫療社羣之執業常規而造成病人之死或傷，絕大部分係肇因於過失。醫療失當在美國法院以民事侵權來訴訟。有時候醫療失當行為亦將構成犯罪行為，例如知名歌星麥克傑克森死亡一案便是。

Medical professionals may obtain professional liability insurances to offset the costs of lawsuits based on medical malpractice. 
醫療從業人員往往從職業責任險來填補其從醫療失當訴訟所耗損之費用

Elements of the case
A plaintiff must establish all five elements of the tort of negligence for a successful medical malpractice claim.
原告若要取得勝訴，必須要符合下列五個過失侵權的要件

1.A duty was owed: a legal duty exists whenever a hospital or health care provider undertakes care or treatment of a patient.
1.義務：每當醫療院所對病人從事照護或治療時，有法定義務存在。
2,A duty was breached: the provider failed to conform to the relevant standard care.
2.違反義務：醫療院所未能遵守相關的注意義務
3.The breach caused an injury: The breach of duty was a direct cause and the proximate cause of the injury.
3.違反義務造成損害：義務之違反係損害發生之主因或近因
4.Deviation from the accepted standard: It must be shown that the practitioner was acting in a manner which was contrary to the generally accepted standard in his/her profession.Further establishment of conditions of intention or malice where applicable.
4.偏離常規：其必須證明執業者所為之醫療行為係有違其職業常規
5.Damage: Without damage (losses which may be pecuniary or emotional), there is no basis for a claim, regardless of whether the medical provider was negligent. Likewise, damage can occur without negligence, for example, when someone dies from a fatal disease.
5.損害：無生損害即無請求之基礎(損害可能是金錢或情感上的)，不管醫療院所是否有過失。同樣的，沒有過失亦生損害，例如：某人死於致命的疾病。