Your Injury Medical Assessment: What to Expect

As part of your personal injury claim, you’ll probably need a medical assessment. This is a normal part of the claims process.

Although there’s nothing to worry about, we understand that you might be feeling nervous about the appointment.

We’ll take you through what you can expect.

What the assessment is for

Your personal injury claim will rely on evidence. And some of the strongest evidence is a medical report that shows how your health has been affected by your accident.

An independent medical expert’s report will ensure that your claim has the necessary proof that your accident has caused you significant harm.

The report will also help your solicitor work out how much compensation you deserve. The doctor carrying out your medical will recommend the treatment they think will help you recover, such as physiotherapy. They will also include what they think your future treatment needs will be, as well as whether you’ll need any specialist care.

Your solicitor will take this into account when negotiating with the party responsible for your accident to help get you the appropriate amount of compensation.

Before the assessment

Your solicitor will arrange your medical appointment for you – so this isn’t something you need to think about. They’ll try to get an appointment as close as possible to your home. It will usually be carried out in a private medical facility.

It’s not something you need to pay for, either. As part of a No Win No Fee arrangement, your solicitor will cover the cost of your assessment. If your claim is unsuccessful, you won’t have to pay anything for your claim.

You won’t have to do a huge amount of preparation before your assessment. But it could help to have a list of symptoms ready to give the doctor so you don’t forget anything important. You may also want to do the same with any questions you want to ask – write them down before your appointment so you can easily refer back to them.

There is the chance that the responsible party will make you a compensation offer before your assessment. This is done to conclude your claim quickly and to save them from potentially having to pay a higher amount after your medical.

Your solicitor will let you know whether the proposed amount is too low and if they think you deserve more for what you’ve been through.

During the assessment

It can help to think of your assessment like a normal doctor’s appointment. The doctor will ask about your symptoms and how you were injured, then they’ll examine your injury. They may ask about what treatments you’ve had for it, whether your daily life has been affected and if you’ve ever suffered from any similar injuries.

They may review your medical records, depending on your injury, its severity and whether you had any pre-existing conditions that may have got worse because of your injury. They’ll get your permission to review your records.

After your initial assessment, the doctor may refer you for another appointment with a specialist. This is more likely if your injury is particularly severe or you have multiple injuries. You may also need further appointments over time if your injury is serious. This will help your legal team work out what you could be entitled to.

Your injury medical assessment will usually take around half an hour, but it can last longer if your injuries are complex.

After the assessment

The doctor you saw will put together a written report, which your solicitor will use as evidence for your claim. This will contain their opinions on how your injury will affect you in the future and what treatments they recommend.

You will be able to see the report to make sure it’s correct and to get an idea of what your future medical care might involve.

Meanwhile, your claim will continue. Your lawyer will let you know what the next steps are at that point.

If you want to start a new injury claim, First4Lawyers could help you do it. Our solicitors are experts in their field and share our determination to get you justice and the compensation you’re entitled to.

To talk to the team at First4Lawyers, just give us a call, request a call back or start your claim online and we’ll take it from there.