Abstract
The first section of the chapter analyses the judicial and normative situation of medical liability in German-speaking countries (Austria, Germany, Switzerland), along with the institutions involved and their operative roles. The ascertainment methodology in both living individuals and cadavers is presented, with special emphasis on the differences between penal and civil procedures. The core part of this chapter examines the evaluation criteria adopted in German-speaking Countries for identifying the injury, dysfunction and invalidity, reconstructing the medical conduct (both real and ideal), identifying any potential medical error, and evaluating the causal value of the identified errors using both the equivalency and adequacy theories. A classification of the most common types of medical errors encountered in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland and the typical structure of a medical expert’s report are provided. This chapter ends with a discussion of future perspectives and the probable reformations that could occur in the regulations and procedures adopted in extra-judicial ascertainments.
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Notes
- 1.
Municipal authorities are responsible to organize the external examination of a corpse. These authorities nominate MDs to do the investigation on behalf of these authorities.
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Bajanowski, T., Rabl, W., Fracasso, T. (2013). Medical Responsibility and Liability in German-Speaking Countries: Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. In: Ferrara, S., Boscolo-Berto, R., Viel, G. (eds) Malpractice and Medical Liability. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35831-9_6
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