[Medicolegal Assessment of Psychic Sequelae after Minor Traumatic Events]

The majority of medicolegal assessments in claimed psychic sequelae after accidents concerns minor traumatic events. In this case, the focus is on three questions: Was the event appropriate to cause a traumatic disturbance according to current psychiatric classification systems (especially current DSM-5)? Which psychical or physical initial injury can be proven beyond reasonable doubt ("full proof") according to German law? What is the impact of personality characteristics and competing life events in the development and maintenance of the mental disorder? Causality between mental disorders and minor traumatic events is to be confirmed especially in the case of persistent physical accident sequelae, but attention has to be paid to the differences in the various legal requirements.