Question 1

When is a specialist report needed instead of a GP medico-legal report?

Accepted Answer

A specialist report is needed when the injury or disputed issue falls outside a general medical opinion. Examples include fractures, spinal symptoms, neurological signs, psychiatric injury, hearing loss, scarring or alleged clinical negligence. The expert should be registered with the relevant UK professional regulator, such as the GMC or HCPC, and matched to the medical question the case actually raises.

Question 2

Can a medico-legal report be prepared without a physical examination?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes. A records-only report may be appropriate where the issue can be answered from medical records, imaging and written evidence, or where the instruction is about breach of duty rather than current physical findings. Many personal injury reports still need an examination, especially where movement, tenderness, function or scarring must be assessed directly.

Question 3

What is a medico-legal report and why is it essential in a UK legal claim?

Accepted Answer

A medico-legal report is an independent, court-addressed medical document prepared by a qualified expert. It is a central piece of evidence in a personal injury, road traffic accident, workplace injury or clinical negligence claim. It addresses causation: the expert gives an opinion on whether, on the balance of probabilities, the accident caused the injuries claimed for. It sets out a clinical prognosis explaining how long recovery will take and whether symptoms are likely to be permanent. Courts and insurers rely on it to calculate compensation covering general damages for pain and suffering and special damages for all associated financial losses. Under CPR Part 35, the medical expert's overriding duty is to the court, not to either party, which gives the report its legal credibility. In most personal injury claims the medical report is the evidence the parties and the court rely on to value the injury.

Question 4

What does Expert Medical Examination Ltd do?

Accepted Answer

Expert Medical Examination Ltd is a UK medico-legal reporting company. We connect solicitors, insurers, defendants, and claimants with qualified, independent medical experts to produce independent reports for use in civil legal proceedings. We provide independent medical examinations carried out by registered doctors, consultants, and specialist practitioners with appropriate medico-legal training. Every report is prepared to CPR Part 35 and Practice Direction 35 and reviewed for compliance before delivery. We arrange reports across claim types including personal injury, road traffic accidents, workplace injuries, medical negligence, industrial disease, and catastrophic injury. Our panel includes orthopaedic surgeons, neurologists, psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, GPs, and A&E consultants.

Question 5

Who is qualified to prepare a medico-legal report in the UK?

Accepted Answer

A medico-legal report is prepared by an independent expert with relevant specialist qualifications and no prior treating relationship with the claimant, registered with the regulator for their profession: the GMC for doctors, the HCPC for professions such as physiotherapy and psychology, and the GDC for dentists. General practitioners (GPs) are instructed for soft tissue injuries, whiplash, and general physical complaints. Orthopaedic surgeons assess fractures, joint damage, spinal injuries, and musculoskeletal conditions. Neurologists provide opinions on brain injury, concussion, nerve damage, and nervous system conditions. Consultant psychiatrists and clinical psychologists assess PTSD, depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorders. A&E consultants handle complex multi-trauma cases. Experts instructed through Expert Medical Examination hold current registration with their own regulator and relevant postgraduate qualifications.

Question 6

What happens during an independent medical examination?

Accepted Answer

An independent medical examination is a structured, professional appointment. The expert's role is to provide an objective, clinically accurate assessment of your injuries, not to represent either side's interests. Before the appointment, the expert reviews your medical records including GP notes, hospital discharge summaries, A&E records, and diagnostic imaging reports. The expert will ask you to describe the accident in detail, when you first sought medical attention, and how your symptoms have developed since. You will be asked how your injuries affect your ability to work, sleep, exercise, care for yourself, and participate in social and leisure activities. A physical examination is conducted where relevant, assessing range of movement, tenderness, muscle strength, and neurological function. Appointments typically take 30 to 60 minutes. You may bring a friend or family member for support. Where a solicitor instructs the report, the solicitor normally arranges payment. Whether any cost falls to you depends on your funding agreement with them.

Question 7

How long does it take to receive a completed medico-legal report?

Accepted Answer

Timescales depend on the complexity of the case, the specialist instructed and how quickly the claimant can attend. A straightforward soft tissue report is usually quicker than one covering several injuries, and a report that needs an MRI scan or neuropsychological testing cannot be finalised until the results arrive. Complex or catastrophic injury cases may need several expert reports. We confirm the expected timescale when you instruct us, so tell us at that point about any court deadline.

Question 8

Is a medico-legal report the same as my GP or hospital records?

Accepted Answer

No. These are fundamentally different documents serving entirely different purposes. Your NHS clinical records are treatment documents created by your healthcare providers to record diagnoses and clinical progress, they were not written for legal proceedings. A medico-legal report is a legally-addressed document specifically prepared for court proceedings. It applies the expert's independent assessment to the legal tests of causation, prognosis, and extent of harm in a CPR-compliant format. The independent expert has no prior treating relationship with you and no financial interest in the outcome, which is what gives the report its evidential weight. Medico-legal reports must comply with CPR Part 35 and Practice Direction 35 and include the expert's signed declaration of duty to the court. Both types of document are used together, your clinical records provide the treatment history; the medico-legal report provides the independent expert opinion.

Question 9

Can I have a virtual or remote medical examination?

Accepted Answer

It depends on whether the report is sourced through MedCo. For the first fixed-cost report in a soft tissue road traffic claim, MedCo's Examination Guidelines require a physical, face-to-face appointment, and MedCo does not support remote examinations except in exceptional circumstances agreed with the compensator. Outside MedCo, a video assessment can suit some psychological assessments, but where the expert needs a hands-on assessment of range of movement, neurological signs, scarring or muscle wasting, an in-person examination is needed for a credible report. Where a claimant cannot travel because of their injuries, a home visit can be arranged.

Question 10

Is my GP letter the same as a medico-legal report?

Accepted Answer

No, and this distinction matters more than most people realise. Your GP letter records your clinical treatment. A medico-legal report is a formal, court-addressed document prepared by an independent expert who has never treated you, specifically to meet the requirements of CPR Part 35. It contains a signed declaration confirming the expert's duty is to the court, not to you or your solicitor. An ordinary GP letter does not meet the requirements for an expert report under CPR Part 35, and whether expert evidence can be relied on is a matter for the court.

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