The authors review the legal principles that a psychiatrist must
understand in assessing the emotional and psychiatric sequelae of a
personal injury leading to a litigation claim. The principles of the
establishment of fault or liability, the assessment of pain and suffering,
causal connection, the credibility of the plaintiff, the credibility of the
expert witness, the determination of prognosis, the award of damages, and
the adversarial system are discussed. An appreciation of these principles
will enable psychiatrists to provide assessments that will be useful to the
legal system in arriving at a fair and accurate determination of the
compensation to which a victim is entitled.
Abstract Teaser