Sleep Medicine Reviews
Volume 5, Issue 1 , Pages 33-46 , February 2001

Medico-legal aspects of sleep disorders: sleepiness and civil liability

  • Elizabeth Ellis

      Affiliations

    • Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
  • ,
  • Ronald R Grunstein

      Affiliations

    • Centre for Respiratory Failure and Sleep Disorders and Sleep Research Group, Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Missenden Rd Camperdown, Department of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

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 Correspondence should be addressed to: E. Ellis, Faculty of Health Sciences, PO Box 170, Lidcombe, NSW 1825, Australia.

PII: S1087-0792(00)90132-1

doi: 10.1053/smrv.2000.0132

Sleep Medicine Reviews
Volume 5, Issue 1 , Pages 33-46 , February 2001