Which statement best differentiates civil liability from malpractice?

• A. Civil liability involves a wrong between individuals.
• B. Malpractice is simply a breach of confidentiality.
• C. Civil liability requires intent to harm.
• D. Malpractice is a form of civil liability when injury occurs.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is the scope difference between civil liability and malpractice. Civil liability is the broad obligation that arises from civil wrongs and covers disputes between individuals or entities in general, not tied to any specific profession. Malpractice is a narrower, specialized form of civil liability that centers on professional negligence—the failure of a licensed practitioner to meet the expected standard of care, resulting in harm. So the best differentiator is that civil liability describes a wide range of civil wrongs between people, while malpractice refers specifically to professional negligence within that civil framework. The other statements either reduce malpractice to something unrelated (like confidentiality), misstate the role of intent (civil liability can arise from negligence without intent), or imply a condition on injury that isn’t what sets apart the broader concept.