Medical malpractice charges in Germany--a survey.

Since decades, studies concerning medical malpractice charges in Germany were published, written by forensic pathologists and regarding lethal courses and the question of causality. Previously published studies comprise higher numbers of medical malpractice charges and determine who e.g. informed the prosecution, which clinical subjects are involved, the kind of charges and whether such allegations can be appropriately assessed by means of a forensic autopsy. A survey is given, focusing on the results of studies from German Institutes of Forensic Medicine.