Trials of an Expert Witness: Tales of Clinical Neurology and the Law

by Harold Klawans

Combining real-life cases of medical detection and courtroom drama, the author explains how doctors arrive at diagnoses, and how physicians can assist in a patient's search for truth

Genres: Science, Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published March 1, 1991

About the author

Harold L. Klawans was an academic neurologist who launched a parallel career as a writer. Klawans was born in Chicago. After graduating with an M.D. degree from the University of Illinois in 1962, Dr. Klawans became a neurologist and professor of neurology and pharmacology at Rush Medical College.

Reviews

[Fiona Noble · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading this book. It is amazing and I highly recommend it, especially to anyone who enjoys Oliver Sacks and/or House MD.

The book details various malpractice suits for which Klawans has served as an expert on the patient’s neurology (mostly). No prior knowledge of science is needed to understand these cases, which are, as Klawans notes, often less about the patient than they are about the battle between lawyers as to who has to pay whom and how much. However, in detailing the patient’s background at the beginning of each chapter, Klawans does explain the medical aspects in some detail, so the neurology is not entirely overshadowed.

Though it may not seem it, Trials of an Expert Witness is good for light reading; the chapters aren’t very long and don’t depend on one another to make sense. There is humor where one least expects it and much is made fun of the lawyers!

To conclude, I would recommend this book to someone willing to wade into somewhat dense neurological explanations, but isn’t looking for anything too scholarly.

[Sidra · Rating 4 out of 5]

For fans of medical ethics, legal drama, and/or gossip.

Definitely a little outdated, but a fun read.

[karolina ✧.* · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is just a series of times where our author had to act as an expert witness in court for a patient or company. + some other stories added in there which ultimately took the one star off. Yeah, they had to do with law and medicine but they weren't his experience.
The author explained everything so well so that everyone would understand what was going on. I feel like I learned a lot about neurology :)

[Kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a collection of true stories told by neurologist Harold Klawans about his experiences as an expert witness in medical malpractice suits that took place in the 1970's and 1980's. This book gives interesting insight both into the medical and legal side of each story, which I think is unique.
Klawans is often compared with Oliver Sacks who more famously and popularly writes in this genre. I attempted to read Sacks's The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales and honestly just couldn't get into it, which surprised me. I just prefer Klawans's writing style and have also read his books Strange Behavior: Tales of Evolutionary Neurology and Defending The Cavewoman: And Other Tales Of Evolutionary Neurology, which I enjoyed.

I first was introduced to Trials Of An Expert Witness: Tales Of Clinical Neurology And The Law as an undergraduate and absolutely loved it. I was taking some sort of neuropsych/ethics class and the professor gave excerpts from this book as reading assignments. I was so fascinated I got the whole book from the library to read. Reading it now years later, I can't say I'd give it that same 5-star review I did previously. I think partly since going to graduate school and working in a medical setting, so much of what was so exciting and interesting learning something new is, well, no longer new. Also I did not recall the somewhat racist comments regarding foreign doctors sprinkled in there every once in a while. I got the vibe of "this patient didn't get appropriate care... well she had that asian/arab doctor who talked with an accent. wink wink". I guess that attitude was okay in 1991? Rather off-putting. But aside from that, the book is still very good and I would recommend it to others.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book magnificently intertwines medicine with law. Klawans wrote each chapter in a style similar to a mystery novel in that I found myself wondering how the hospital or doctors had deviated from the standard of care for each patient. He first introduces the patient, allows you to get attached, and then reveals the issue. I was able to learn a lot about neurological disorders but also about "real world" law by reading this book.
I appreciate that Klawans does not use flowery language and instead gets to the meat of the issue in this book. That being said, if you're looking for a piece a great literature this is not for you. Klawans uses a lot of dialogue and he is certainly not verbose. Also, I was not impressed that he used the term, "crazy" to describe some patients. Not only was it offensive but it was simplistic and not language I would expect a doctor to use. Overall, this was a unique book that I enjoyed. I recommend it to anyone interested in medicine, particularly neurological disorders, and law.

[Allyson Dyar · Rating 5 out of 5]

The other book in the same vein as the previous two is Trials of an Expert Witness: Tales of Clinical Neurology and the Law. I didn’t re-read this one because, as I had mentioned above, I was busy reading Doc Savage fanfic but in glancing through the book, I remember enjoying the read and the title pretty much explains what the book is about. This book has a bit more of a broader audience, those interested in medical narratives as well as medicine and the law (but without all the tedious law-stuff).