Radiation litigation and the practicing health physicist

This article presents a basic outline of the legal elements of proof of a case involving exposure to radiation. It raises issues regarding the standard of care to which a practicing health physicist must adhere in order for his or her employer to avoid liability for overexposure of radiation workers. Finally, the article outlines the methods of proving the dose received by a plaintiff and the need for accessible documentation to use in making the proof. A list of specific cases and of other published material related to this subject has been placed at the end of this article for the convenience of the reader