LAUSR

Most victims of trauma and abuse will seek care in an emergency department (ED) within hours of their violence‐related injuries. Medical training has produced well‐trained physicians to evaluate, stabilize, and treat these patients in the acute setting. Unfortunately, in an ED without forensic staff, lack of timely forensic care can result in delays in treatment, loss of evidence, and hope of any justice being achieved. Emergency physicians are in a unique position to provide critical medical and forensic care to these patients, especially in health care facilities without 24‐h coverage of forensic staff and social workers.