Role of the Psychiatrist in Personal Injury Litigation

Abstract

Psychiatry has been insufficiently attendant to the demands being placed on it by an ever-growing volume of personal injury or tort litigation. Increasing attention to chronic pain problems and the subtle behavioral sequelae of closed head injuries often challenge the diagnostic skills of psychiatrists. This article reviews additional diagnostic approaches that are perhaps insufficiently utilized. It is suggested that increasing attention be paid in both training and the quality of services in this area.