title: Legal issues in child maltreatment.
abstract: The most common medicolegal issues include reporting child maltreatment, the presentation of ethical and effective expert testimony, informed consent in child maltreatment cases, and various liability risks related to child maltreatment cases. The health care professional who remains knowledgeable about the laws within their jurisdiction, the mandates of their professional society and state medical board, and the local resources (eg, child abuse pediatrician and hospital counsel) available to them minimizes medicolegal risk.
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics, UTHSC-Houston, 6410 Fannin Street, Suite 1425, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Electronic address: Sandeep.Narang@uth.tmc.edu.
authors.forename: Sandeep K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Narang
authors.affiliation: Child Advocacy Center, Akron Children's Hospital, 6505 Market Street Building C, Suite 3100, Boardman, OH 44512, USA.
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Melville
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005104:Expert Testimony; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D019221:Mandatory Reporting
keywords: Child maltreatment; Expert witness; Legal issues; Medicolegal issues