关键词: 法医临床鉴定, 事实因果关系, 法律因果关系, 原因力, 区分路径

Abstract: Forensic clinical appraisal serves as a crucial link between medical facts and judicial judgments. Its core mission is to precisely define the causal relationship between the injurious act and harmful outcomes from a medical perspective. In judicial practice, the objective reconstruction of factual causation and the normative judgment of legal causation are invariably intertwined. The application of the legal concept of causative potency in the field of forensic appraisal further highlights the deep integration of technical judgment and legal thinking. Factual causality and legal causality differ essentially in the judging subject, criteria, and objectives. In scenarios such as single causality and multiple-cause-single-effect causality, practitioners confront difficulties in distinction, including the conflict between technical boundaries and legal demands, and the cross-border application of causal potency.This paper systematically reviews the theoretical differences between factual causation and legal causation, analyzes their specific manifestations in forensic clinical appraisal, and focuses on the evolutionary trajectory and practical challenges of the distinction pathway. According to the current application status of causative potency assessment, it proposes a balancing strategy between technical rationality and legal thinking in appraisal, providing theoretical support and practical reference for enhancing the scientific robustness and legal applicability of forensic clinical appraisal opinions.

Key words: forensic clinical appraisal, factual causation, legal causation, causative potency, distinction pathway