When can a patient file a lawsuit against a physician for abandonment?

A patient can file a lawsuit against a physician for abandonment primarily when the physician fails to furnish care for the illness. In the context of medical practice, abandonment occurs when a physician terminates a physician-patient relationship without providing adequate notice or a reasonable alternative for the patient's care. This means that if a physician neglects to provide necessary care or ceases to treat the patient without making proper arrangements for continued care, the patient may feel abandoned and thus have grounds for a lawsuit.

The other choices are circumstances that might not necessarily constitute abandonment. Leaving a patient alone in an exam room, not asking them to reschedule an appointment, or referring a patient to another physician does not inherently indicate abandonment of care. It is the failure to provide ongoing care or appropriate follow-up that establishes a basis for a claim of abandonment in the medical field.