What does res ipsa loquitur mean?

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Dear Members:

" Res ipsa loquitur " meaning, " it speaks for itself or things speak for

themselves " is a legal provision that exempts a patient or a

complainant/plaintiff from his burden of proof. This provision can be invoked by

a patient in situaions like when a surgical instrument has been left behind in

the patient's body after operation that is quite evident from the x-ray or any

other technique, or when wrong limb has been operated, wrong tooth extracted,

wrong medicine injected or a wrong patient operated etc.

With Regards

Dr Geer M Ishaq