Legal Definitions - reasonable medical probability

Reasonable medical probability is a standard used to prove the cause of an injury. It requires showing that the injury was more likely than not caused by a particular stimulus, based on the general consensus of recognized medical thought. This is also known as reasonable medical certainty.

• If a patient develops a rash after taking a new medication, a doctor may need to determine if the medication caused the rash. To do so, the doctor would need to determine if there is a reasonable medical probability that the medication caused the rash.
• If a worker is exposed to a toxic chemical and later develops lung cancer, the worker may need to prove that the exposure to the chemical caused the cancer. To do so, the worker would need to show that there is a reasonable medical probability that the exposure caused the cancer.

These examples illustrate how reasonable medical probability is used to determine the cause of an injury or illness. It requires a showing that the injury or illness was more likely than not caused by a particular stimulus, based on the general consensus of recognized medical thought.