Radiology and the law of negligence

Canadian law expects all persons to behave reasonably in all phases of their lives. An individual who behaves reasonably has nothing to fear from the courts. The determination of what constitutes reasonable behaviour in medicine involves a common-sense approach to the rights and responsibilities of medical and non-medical members of the community. Every day thousands of Canadians trust Canadian radiologists with their lives and livelihoods. That trust demand no less care than the courts ask for. The meeting of this standard requires constant attention. Where there is prudence, forethought, and a good patient-physician relationship, there should be few negligence suits.