Personal injury: Why Is a Medical Appointment So Important?

In a personal injury claim, examination by a medical expert is essential to allow your solicitors to obtain an in-depth assessment of the injuries that you have sustained as a result of your accident.

What is the Medical Expert’s Role in my Claim?

The main role of the medical expert is to produce a report as evidence of your injuries. The report will then be submitted to the defendant.

This will be used by your solicitor to value your claim and ensure that we can advise you properly on the level of compensation you are likely to receive.

Often, where injuries are more complex, multiple appointments and reports might be required from different specialists in order to obtain a complete picture of your injuries and their effects.

However, it is important to remember that the expert has a duty to the Courts to perform an honest and impartial assessment. It is not their role to give you the best report possible!

How is the appointment organised?

Your solicitor will organise any necessary medical appointments for you through a medical agency. These will be arranged with medical experts who are available and geographically convenient for you to attend.

Currently due to the Covid-19 pandemic many appointments are taking place using Zoom or Skype, but typically appointments will be face to face; especially for physical injuries.

Prior to your appointment, the expert will be provided with your relevant and necessary medical records for review. Some experts may request that you complete a pre-examination questionnaire before the appointment, giving them an overview of your medical and accident history.

What should I expect at my medical appointment?

You can expect the expert to ask questions about your health before the accident, the circumstances of the accident, and how your injuries have affected you.

You should make sure that you give the expert a full description of the accident, your injuries, and how you have been affected. You should include the effects on your home life, work, and hobbies.

If there is anything you think is relevant to your injuries or the accident, make sure to mention it!

What will happen after the appointment?

Your solicitor will receive a report from the expert after the appointment, which can often take several weeks to complete. They will check the report for factual inaccuracies and provide you with a copy to check through.

If you think there are errors in the report to be corrected, or that things you mentioned to the expert have been left out, make sure that you notify your solicitor as the report will be used as evidence of your injuries to the defendant and to the Court!