Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Intermediate Practice Exam

Which factor is NOT considered when establishing negligence?

1. The patient's actions prior to injury

2. The patient was informed of the risks

3. The patient's injury was life threatening

4. The standard of care that should have been provided

The correct answer is: The patient's injury was life threatening

When establishing negligence, the primary focus is on the actions of the care provider and whether those actions met the expected standards of care. Various factors are taken into account to determine whether negligence occurred. Among these factors, the level of threat posed by the patient's injury is not a consideration. While options like the patient's actions prior to the injury, whether the patient was informed of the risks, and the standard of care expected during treatment are all critical in assessing negligence, the severity of the injury itself—such as whether it was life-threatening—does not influence the determination of negligence. Negligence is about whether the care provider acted with reasonable care in response to the incident, rather than the nature or severity of the injury sustained by the patient. Thus, the fact that the patient's injury was life-threatening does not play a role in establishing whether negligence occurred in the context of medical treatment.