If you are taking a claim for personal injury and either the other side has admitted fault or your solicitor is confident that your claim will succeed, your solicitor is likely to ask you to attend a medical expert for examination.*
Attending a medical appointment
The medical expert acts as an objective assessor of your injuries and prepares a medical report. The type of expert you see depends on the nature of your injuries: GPs usually examine claimants involved in road traffic accident claims. If your sole injury is whiplash, your GP is unlikely to want to see your medical records.
You will usually be examined by the same kind of specialist who provided your care, so if you have been treated by a consultant for injuries involving fractures, you are likely to be examined by a consultant orthopaedic surgeon. A consultant expert will probably wish to see your hospital and GP records, especially x-rays.
Medical Reports
The medical examination and report may be key elements of your claim, but they can also prove useful for identifying issues your own doctor may have missed. In high value claims, the medical experts may want to look at your occupational health and personnel records. These documents may show if you have had relevant health problems before the accident.
Several weeks after your medical examination, the medical expert will submit your medical report to your solicitor. Your solicitor will then examine the report to establish that it is broadly correct and to identify any relevant issues.
