In New Jersey, and other states, legitimate claims for medical malpractice arise when the defendant healthcare professional has committed medical negligence. Medical negligence requires proof that the defendant violated an applicable standard of care. The standard of care varies substantially from case to case, depending on the circumstances. In the context of prescribing opioids, medical negligence can be found where the defendant failed to consider the patient’s medical history and clinical circumstance or, where the defendant prescribed opioids instead of using safer alternatives.