Final answer:
Contributory negligence is when a patient is partly to blame for their injury, potentially absolving the physician from being seen as the direct cause.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept that relates to the patient's contribution to the injury, which, if proven, could release the physician as the direct cause, is a) Contributory negligence. Contributory negligence occurs when a patient fails to exercise the standard of care that a reasonably prudent person would have in a similar situation, thereby contributing to their own harm. In states that recognize contributory negligence, even a minimal amount of negligence on the patient's part can prevent them from recovering damages from the physician or healthcare provider.