General Insurance✓ Verified · outline & fact-checked · Sep 2026Difficulty 2/5
A physician's negligent treatment that injures a patient is addressed under which body of law?
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
Negligent treatment is a tort: the physician breached a duty of care imposed by law, causing harm, regardless of any contract. Malpractice claims sound in tort because the duty to treat patients competently does not depend on a written promise. This is why a patient can sue for negligence even without a formal contract of care.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) The physician's duty arises from law, not from the terms of any agreement, so it is not a contract claim.
- C) Agency law concerns representation of others, not the standard of care owed to patients.
- D) Admiralty law covers maritime matters, wholly unrelated to medical treatment.
Memory hook
Malpractice = the law's duty to be careful, not just a broken promise.