G. Eyre and L. Alexander, ed., 2011, Professional Solutions Publications publ., London, UK. ISBN 978-0-9569341-0-9
This excellent British textbook (280 pages + appendices) is recent (2011) and well describes the body of medico-legal knowledge a medical expert should master before entering the legal arena. The first 10 pages describe the essential qualities of Medical Experts, with emphasis on common dissatisfactions with medico-legal reports. The 5 key-point summaries, at the end of this first chapter are generic and shall be applied to the entire Anglo-Saxon legal world! The following 40 pages gives a summary of what a Civil Claim for Damages for Personal Injury is about in UK. The roles and duties of the expert witness, in order to provide the Court with a valid opinion, cover 4 chapters and more than 140 pages, close to half of the book content; these pages should be read with great attention by all serious medical experts. Chapter 6 describes how to discuss material contribution, causation, and apportionment of damages. Two chapters (40 pages) give good advices on how to report negligence in medical liability lawsuits. Chapter 10 ends this excellent publication with the authors’ recommendations for writing a good medico-legal report. Seven appendices complete this valuable textbook. This small volume gives to the expert wise and clear advices, based on the authors’ wisdom and knowledge, and reads well avoiding the too often encountered arid jurisprudence review.