Medico-Legal Implications of Assessing and Treating the Aftermath of Trauma

A case involving a road traffic accident resulting in severe personal injuries was illustrated in the context of the medico-legal trail towards compensation. Key clinical and medico-legal issues were considered and described in the context of Koch's postulates. The progressive, logical and comprehensive medico-legal understanding of trauma and its implications for a more ‘therapeutic jurisprudence' approach to civil cases is discussed.