Which of these actions can be considered a tort?

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Prepare for the HOSA Medical Law and Ethics Assessment Test. Use flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam today!

A tort is defined as a wrongful act or an infringement of a right leading to civil legal liability. In this context, the correct choice identifies a wrongful act that causes injury, which is the essence of a tort. Torts generally encompass actions that result in harm or damage to a person, property, or reputation, and the affected party may bring a lawsuit to seek compensation.

While options like failing to diagnose an illness, theft of medical supplies, and unlawfully prescribing medication can involve legal ramifications and professional misconduct, they do not fully encapsulate the definition of a tort in the broad sense as directly as the concept of a wrongful act that results in injury. For example, failing to diagnose can lead to liability under malpractice laws, but it is specifically the injury that makes it a tort. Theft and unlawful prescription are forms of criminal behavior rather than civil wrongs that fit neatly into the tort classification unless they directly result in harm to another party, which then becomes part of the tort. Thus, the focus on injury as a consequence of a wrongful act solidifies why this choice stands out as the correct answer.

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