What happens during my medicolegal appointment?

i.    How do I check in?

When you arrive for your appointment we ask that you give your name to the receptionist and state that you have an appointment with Mr Wharton.  Usually you will be given a questionnaire to report your symptoms with regard to your injured hand or wrist on that day.  These scores are very important and form part of your report, so please answer them to the best of your availability.

ii.    How long does my appointment last?

Appointments are usually 45 – 60 minutes long

iii.    What do I need to bring?

I have to ask you for photo ID, and something with your address on it, which should match the address on your solicitor’s instructions.  This would commonly be a passport, driving license and bank statement or utility bill.  There isn’t always good Wi-Fi in our building, so it’s useful to bring these printed out.

iv.    What questions will I be asked?

I will ask you some basic questions about yourself, your job, your medical history and your hobbies.  I will then ask you about the accident, what happened afterwards, and the condition your hand is in currently.  I will perform an examination of your hand, measure the grip strength and take photographs.  These will be included in the report.

v.    Can I bring someone to the appointment with me?

Yes, and if you feel comfortable bringing them to the assessment they can be included.  I will record their name and this will be entered into the report.  This may help you feel more relaxed.  But it is very important that the answers to the questions asked are your own, and not influenced by anyone else.

vi.    The accident was very traumatic – do I really have to go through it all again?

I understand that for everyone who has sustained an injury there will be negative feelings and emotions when they are asked to describe it.  I will give you warning before these questions come, and give you lots of time to answer.  You may wish to have someone there to support you.  But asking about the accident is important because the Court expects me to comment on whether the accident caused the current state of your hand and wrist.  So I need to hear about it in your own words.  I appreciate you will have been over it with your solicitor and it may feel like repetition, but it’s very important that I understand what happened to you in detail to be able to comment on causation in the report.

vii.    What happens after the appointment?

After the appointment I will draft a report which is sent to your solicitors.  This will be available within six weeks, but often this is much faster.  I ask that you check the report when you receive it for factual accuracy and feed back to your solicitor if any element of the accident history is not correct.

viii.     Since my solicitor instructed you, do you work for them?

I have a close working relationship with a number of firms of solicitors, and I value the work that I am asked to do.  But when I write the report about you, although any fee is paid by the instructing solicitor, the work is conducted for the Court, and my responsibility in writing it is to the Court.

ix.    Does that mean you’re on our side?

In writing reports Experts actually aren’t on anyone’s side.  The report is not written for you or against it.  It is a statement of fact and unbiased opinion which is written for the Court.  This is because, if necessary, a Judge will have to decide your case based on scientific opinion which they may not deal with day in and day out.  So my job is to process the information which is within my expertise, and write it in terms that the Judge will understand.  This means that there might be times when you feel something is very important, and it isn’t given weight in the report.  If this happens, it’s not because I didn’t think what you told me was important, it’s just that I didn’t feel it was a contributor to the symptoms that you have currently, which I have to report on for the Court.