What legal term describes the harm caused by professional negligence?

The legal term that describes the harm caused by professional negligence is malpractice. Malpractice specifically refers to the failure of a professional, such as a healthcare provider, to meet the standard of care expected in their field, resulting in harm to a patient. This encompasses errors in judgment, misdiagnosis, improper treatment, or any act of omission that deviates from professional standards.

Malpractice is particularly focused on the professional aspect of negligence, differentiating it from general negligence, which applies to a wider range of situations where one party's failure to exercise reasonable care causes damage to another. It underscores the importance of duty, breach of duty, and the causation of harm in a professional setting.

The other terms, while related to legal harm, do not specifically denote professional negligence. Assault involves the threat of harm, battery pertains to actual physical harm, and negligence is a broader term that may not necessarily imply professional context. Thus, malpractice is the most precise term for describing harm stemming from professional negligence within the healthcare field.