TABLE OF CONTENT
Expert Witness Reports: Your Guide to Understanding Medico Legal Reporting in the UK
In cases where you want to file a claim, you must need a report to prove it. This report is called medico-legal or expert witness report. Experts from different fields prepare the reports and provide testimony if needed. These fields are:
- Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Neurology
- Pain Management
According to a report by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), there are approximately 800,000 personal injury claims in the UK annually, many of which require medico-legal reports.
Medico Legal Reporting
A medico witness is hired for an expert opinion when a client suffers from:
- Personal injury
- Psychological Injury
- Medical malpractice
A medico-legal expert can only validate his claims using a medico-legal report.
What Does a Medico Legal Report Structure?
A medico-legal report structure is imperative to evaluate a client’s claim. It usually contains:
Client/claimant details
- Name
- History of patient
- Date of incident
Findings of case
- Incident details
- Injury details
- Treatments details
Conclusion based on evidence
- Further treatment suggestion
- Duration of treatment
- Verification of injuries
A medico-legal expert witness report must adhere to Civil Procedure Rules (CPR Part 35).
Challenges in Medico Legal Reporting
The major challenge faced when making a medico-legal reports is False Positive Reporting.
What Are False-Positive Reports?
When a test wrongly indicates a person’s condition, it is said to be False-positive in the medico-legal industry.
False positive reports can have serious effects in civil and criminal cases. They can lead to wrongful accusations or judgments.
Causes of False-Positive Reports
False-positive reports can have several causes. They include:
- Technological limits
- Human error
- Flawed methods
- Poor training
- Confounding factors
- Biased interpretations
- Unreliable evidence
We must find and fix these causes to reduce false-positive reports.
Ethical standards of expert witness reports
We should apply some ethical standards to expert witness reports.
‘’The ideal expert is one who has established for himself a personal and professional reputation for integrity, one who has a wide range of general knowledge in the field of medicine and surgery combined with special study and preparation in his particular branch or speciality. He should be able to express himself in simple language that can be understood by the layman, and yet make his professional point clear, to speak loud enough and to enunciate clearly enough to have every one interested in the case get his testimony without con- fusion. His temperament should be cool and judicial, for the ability to keep his temper, often under trying circumstances, is quite essential; and the professional man has a reputation of being a bit temperamental. He should be a clear thinker and be able to say enough without confusing the issue, and, above all things, not be ashamed to say, “I do not know,” an answer, incidentally, that would have kept many an expert out of deep water.’’
ALBERT H. PARKS
This may reduce false-positive reports. Some of these include:
- Rigorous quality control procedures
- Adherence to scientific standards and protocols
- Ongoing training and education for forensic experts
- Independent verification of findings
- The utilisation of advanced technologies
Why Should Expert Witness Reports Be CPR Compliant?
CPR 35 compliant reports ensure that the evidence presented in court is both admissible and credible. Since December 2014, CPR 35 compliant reports have become vital to the Civil Procedure Rules. Therefore, expert witness reports must adhere to the standards outlined in the CPR 35 compliant report.
Sometimes, experts may need to attend the court hearing to provide evidence and answer questions from the court or other parties. A summary of their qualifications and experience must also be provided in the report.
How to Get a CPR Part 35 Compliant Report?
To get a compliant report, you will need the service of an expert witness who has the following factors to provide an opinion on the case
- Necessary knowledge
- Training
- Experience
How Concise Medico Can Help
At Concise Medico, we ensure that our expert witness reports are 100% CPR compliant, which is key to winning legal cases. We have the UK’s largest independent expert witness directory, offering a turnaround time of less than 48 hours.
Our team with the most competent expert witness qualifications will guide you through the process. Understanding an expert witness role in legal cases and filing a claim can be a complex and time-consuming process. That is why we offer a holistic service that takes care of everything.
Final Thoughts
Medico-legal reporting is crucial to ensure the delivery of justice. Here at Concise Medico, we focus on offering top-notch services, upholding our dedication to perfection.
Contact us today if you are a
- Solicitor
- Insurance Company Personnel
- Medical Agency
We will give you CPR-compliant expert witness report written by HCPC-registered experts.
Expert Witness Reports: Your Guide to Understanding Medico Legal Reporting in the UK
In cases where you want to file a claim, you must need a report to prove it. This report is called medico-legal or expert witness report. Experts from different fields prepare the reports and provide testimony if needed. These fields are:
- Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Neurology
- Pain Management
According to a report by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), there are approximately 800,000 personal injury claims in the UK annually, many of which require medico-legal reports.
Medico Legal Reporting
A medico witness is hired for an expert opinion when a client suffers from:
- Personal injury
- Psychological Injury
- Medical malpractice
A medico-legal expert can only validate his claims using a medico-legal report.
What Does a Medico Legal Report Structure?
A medico-legal report structure is imperative to evaluate a client’s claim. It usually contains:
Client/claimant details
- Name
- History of patient
- Date of incident
Findings of case
- Incident details
- Injury details
- Treatments details
Conclusion based on evidence
- Further treatment suggestion
- Duration of treatment
- Verification of injuries
A medico-legal expert witness report must adhere to Civil Procedure Rules (CPR Part 35).
Challenges in Medico Legal Reporting
The major challenge faced when making a medico-legal reports is False Positive Reporting.
What Are False-Positive Reports?
When a test wrongly indicates a person’s condition, it is said to be False-positive in the medico-legal industry.
False positive reports can have serious effects in civil and criminal cases. They can lead to wrongful accusations or judgments.
Causes of False-Positive Reports
False-positive reports can have several causes. They include:
- Technological limits
- Human error
- Flawed methods
- Poor training
- Confounding factors
- Biased interpretations
- Unreliable evidence
We must find and fix these causes to reduce false-positive reports.
Ethical standards of expert witness reports
We should apply some ethical standards to expert witness reports.
‘’The ideal expert is one who has established for himself a personal and professional reputation for integrity, one who has a wide range of general knowledge in the field of medicine and surgery combined with special study and preparation in his particular branch or speciality. He should be able to express himself in simple language that can be understood by the layman, and yet make his professional point clear, to speak loud enough and to enunciate clearly enough to have every one interested in the case get his testimony without con- fusion. His temperament should be cool and judicial, for the ability to keep his temper, often under trying circumstances, is quite essential; and the professional man has a reputation of being a bit temperamental. He should be a clear thinker and be able to say enough without confusing the issue, and, above all things, not be ashamed to say, “I do not know,” an answer, incidentally, that would have kept many an expert out of deep water.’’
ALBERT H. PARKS
This may reduce false-positive reports. Some of these include:
- Rigorous quality control procedures
- Adherence to scientific standards and protocols
- Ongoing training and education for forensic experts
- Independent verification of findings
- The utilisation of advanced technologies
Why Should Expert Witness Reports Be CPR Compliant?
CPR 35 compliant reports ensure that the evidence presented in court is both admissible and credible. Since December 2014, CPR 35 compliant reports have become vital to the Civil Procedure Rules. Therefore, expert witness reports must adhere to the standards outlined in the CPR 35 compliant report.
Sometimes, experts may need to attend the court hearing to provide evidence and answer questions from the court or other parties. A summary of their qualifications and experience must also be provided in the report.
How to Get a CPR Part 35 Compliant Report?
To get a compliant report, you will need the service of an expert witness who has the following factors to provide an opinion on the case
- Necessary knowledge
- Training
- Experience
How Concise Medico Can Help
At Concise Medico, we ensure that our expert witness reports are 100% CPR compliant, which is key to winning legal cases. We have the UK’s largest independent expert witness directory, offering a turnaround time of less than 48 hours.
Our team with the most competent expert witness qualifications will guide you through the process. Understanding an expert witness role in legal cases and filing a claim can be a complex and time-consuming process. That is why we offer a holistic service that takes care of everything.
Final Thoughts
Medico-legal reporting is crucial to ensure the delivery of justice. Here at Concise Medico, we focus on offering top-notch services, upholding our dedication to perfection.
Contact us today if you are a
- Solicitor
- Insurance Company Personnel
- Medical Agency
We will give you CPR-compliant expert witness report written by HCPC-registered experts.
