Medical law: medicolegal cases: practice question

A Forensic Medicine question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Forensic Medicine · Medical law: medicolegal cases

Sample item

A man with a suspected organophosphate poisoning is brought to a casualty department by neighbours. What is the doctor's duty regarding police?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Start treatment at once and inform the police about the medicolegal case

Poisoning, injuries, burns and suspicious deaths are medicolegal cases. Emergency care comes first, and the doctor must also intimate the police, usually through the hospital authority, and document the case carefully. Supreme Court rulings protect the right to immediate emergency care without police formalities.

Option by option

  • A. Inform the police only if the patient dies

    Intimation is required at presentation, not only after death.

  • B. Treat only after relatives file a complaint

    Relatives' complaint is not a precondition for treatment or intimation.

  • C. Wait for the police before starting treatment

    Delaying treatment for police is unacceptable.

  • D. Start treatment at once and inform the police about the medicolegal case (correct)

    Treatment is given immediately, and the police are informed.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is D, Start treatment at once and inform the police about the medicolegal case. Poisoning, injuries, burns and suspicious deaths are medicolegal cases.

Why is "Inform the police only if the patient dies" not the answer?

Intimation is required at presentation, not only after death.

Why is "Treat only after relatives file a complaint" not the answer?

Relatives' complaint is not a precondition for treatment or intimation.

Why is "Wait for the police before starting treatment" not the answer?

Delaying treatment for police is unacceptable.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Medical law: medicolegal cases in Forensic Medicine. Emergency care comes first, and the doctor must also intimate the police, usually through the hospital authority, and document the case carefully. Supreme Court rulings protect the right to immediate emergency care without police formalities.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Medical law: medicolegal cases?

Learn postmortem changes with their timelines, and toxicology as poison, sign, test and antidote. Then use the flashcards and the other Forensic Medicine questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.