What are the typical elements a plaintiff must prove to establish medical malpractice in a CRNA case?

• A. Duty, breach of the standard of care, causation, and damages.
• B. Duty, breach of professional duty, and damages only.
• C. Causation and damages without proving a breach.
• D. Duty and damages only.

Answer: (A)

The essential idea is that medical malpractice requires proving four elements. A CRNA case hinges on showing there was a duty owed to the patient by the CRNA, and that the CRNA breached the applicable standard of care by acting (or failing to act) in a way a reasonably prudent CRNA would under similar circumstances. There must be a causal link between that breach and the injury—the breach must be a cause (including proximate cause) of the harm. Finally, the patient must have suffered actual damages as a result. If any of these pieces is missing—no duty, no breach of the standard, no causal connection, or no damages—the claim cannot succeed. This four-part framework ensures that only truly negligent professional conduct, which causes harm and merits compensation, is actionable in a CRNA context.