In a cause of action for negligence, the plaintiff must establish the defendant owed a duty of care to the plaintiff. Next, the plaintiff must show that the defendant _______.

In a cause of action for negligence, the plaintiff must establish the defendant owed a duty of care to the plaintiff. Next, the plaintiff must show that the defendant breached that duty of care.

To prove a breach of duty, the plaintiff must show the defendant failed to conform to the standard of care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in similar circumstances. This is an objective standard.

Medical malpractice attorneys often use expert testimony to establish the applicable standard of care and show how the defendant deviated from it.

Sometimes the breach is obvious enough that expert testimony is not required. For example, a driver running a red light may clearly breach the duty of reasonable care owed to others on the road.