When a claim for compensation is pursued, it’s important that a full and accurate medical report detailing the impact of the injuries of the claimant is produced. Not only will this ensure that the claimant has a good understanding of their injuries and how they are likely to progress, but it can corroborate a claim for personal injury compensation. This is what the purpose the likes of GP medico-legal reports serve.

In this guide, we will examine what the requirements are for medical experts who complete these reports and what kind of information can be included in them. Furthermore, we will offer advice about finding experts to complete GP medico-legal reports for the purposes of supporting compensation claims. 

If you would like to be connected with a medico-legal expert, you can get in touch with us today. Otherwise, read on to find out more about medico-legal reports.

Select A Section

1. What Is A GP Orthopaedic Medico-Legal Report?
2. Why Do You Need A Medical Report?
3. What Should A Medico-Legal Report Contain?
4. How To Find Experts Providing GP Orthopaedic Medico-Legal Reports
5. How Do You Obtain GP Orthopaedic Medico-Legal Reports?
6. Get Help Instructing A GP Orthopaedic Expert

What Is A GP Medico-Legal Report?

A medico-legal report is a written document that outlines the injuries that a claimant has sustained as a result of an accident. The findings of this report can then be used to establish causation, i.e. that the accident caused or at least contributed to the injuries. A report can also be used to determine how much the claim is worth. 

This is because the report will include information on how severe the injury is and how badly the claimant has been affected. Furthermore, it will contain details of any subsequent treatment or permanent effects that the injuries might cause. This can all impact the value of a claim.

In order for this report to be written, the expert will need to communicate with the claimant and access their medical records and notes from previous appointments. In addition to confirming the extent of the harm suffered, GP medico-legal reports will confirm that the injuries are consistent with the kind of accident that occurred. 

Why Do You Need A Medical Report?

GP medico-legal reports can be an important aspect of legal cases. Medico-legal reports are completed by those who specialise in their field; in this instance, it would be a General Practitioner (GP). This report is then used to help prove that the injuries were caused by the accident, as well as to enable lawyers to value claims and negotiate fair settlements. 

For example, the report will include information on how severe the injury is. This is important in ensuring that the claimant receives a compensation award that accurately reflects the pain and suffering that they have experienced. 

Furthermore, it will also detail how the medical expert expects the injured person’s recovery to progress. It might note any increased risk of complications that could affect the claimant down the line, as well as the need for treatment or things like mobility equipment. 

What Should A Medico-Legal Report Contain?

GP medico-legal reports should:

• Give an outline of how the accident happened, and an opinion as to whether the claimant’s injuries are consistent with this accident type
• Explain what kind of injuries have been sustained and how severe they are 
• Contain details relating to previous treatment that has been administered, including whether or not it was successful
• Outline the prognosis of the claimant’s condition, including an increased risk of future health problems

More severe injuries that cause a great deal of pain will likely have a greater impact on quality of life than less serious injuries, meaning that an accurate reflection of the impact the injuries have is essential in valuing the claim properly. 

It’s therefore important that medico-legal reports provide a prognosis, as well as any recommendations for treatments the claimant could get to help with their recovery.

How To Find Experts Providing GP Medico-Legal Reports

When looking for experts who can provide GP medico-legal reports, you might initially use a search engine. However, this is not always the best way to go about finding an expert. 

This is because the results from search engines might no longer be up-to-date. It could be that some of the results are for experts who are retired, who are not providing this service or who are unable to provide a report for you at this time. 

Furthermore, there may be some experts who only work through medico-legal agencies. This means that they cannot be instructed to create a report without the request going through a medical agency. 

There are some advantages to the instructing party when using medico-legal companies to arrange a medical report. For instance, it’s possible to delay the payment for the report until after the claim is concluded. This means that the cost of the report can be covered by the fees claimed back from the defendant. 

If you’re looking for an expert, why not get in touch with us today?

How Do You Obtain GP Medico-Legal Reports?

If you require a GP medico-legal report, there are a number of different steps you can follow to obtain one. 

First of all, find a suitable expert who specialises in the area of medicine that the report needs to focus on. For example, if the report is intended to verify a musculoskeletal injury, then an orthopaedic surgeon could complete the report. This can be done through a medical agency. 

It’s important to note that the medical expert must be someone who is completely independent of the situation. For example, if you need a medico-legal report from a General Practitioner, it cannot be the claimant’s GP who creates the report. 

Once you’ve found your expert, you would send an initial instruction letter requesting a report. This letter would emphasise the need for the report to focus on the severity of the injury and the prognosis and remind the expert of their duties to the court. You would also allow the expert access to previous medical records.

At this point, the appointment can be arranged with the claimant and expert. If working with a medico-legal company, they can handle all of this on your behalf. A short time after the appointment, a medico-legal report will be produced by the expert. 

Get Help Instructing A GP Medico-Legal Expert

Medical agencies have access to a network of experts who can provide medico-legal reports. For this reason, they’re a simple, fast and efficient way of obtaining GP medico-legal reports. 

In addition to this, a medical agency can arrange an appointment between the expert and the claimant. This can be done close to the claimant’s home. 

There are other advantages to using medical agencies for GP medico-legal reports. For example, an agency may be able to cover the cost of the report until the claim is settled. 

You can get in touch with us today for more information on how we can help you. We could help you find experts who can write GP medico-legal reports.