Medical professionals are responsible for exercising the level of care that a reasonably prudent person in their line of work would use. Medical malpractice is defined as "any act or omission by a physician during treatment of a patient that deviates from accepted norms of practice in the medical community and causes an injury to the patient." To file suit for medical malpractice, the plaintiff must show that the physician diverged from that of a reasonably careful caregiver in the same situation. However, what constitutes a "reasonably prudent person" can be pretty subjective and differ by state. Contact a lawyer in your state to learn whether your case would quality.