Book excerpt: LEGAL MEDICINE was one of the first books available to physicians in search of answers to legal questions. As the leader in medicolegal knowledge, this new, fifth edition is the source for healthcare practitioners' legal medicine needs. As in previous editions, its goal is to highlight those issues in health care that constitute potential pitfalls and problems of a legal nature. Now brought completely up to date, this unparalleled resource remains most reliable text available on the legal implications of medical practice.