Description
The main steps in the preparation of a medico-legal report are described. Interaction with the legal team and court etiquette when giving evidence are described. Background information should be obtained from the patient’s records. A careful clinical history and examination are essential, and appropriate special investigations and imaging studies are performed. The examiner gives an opinion on whether the patient’s history and examination findings are consistent with the clinical findings. Insurance fraud is relatively common and must be kept in mind. The examiner gives an opinion based on his own experience and on a survey of the current literature. The presence of scars and deformities are documented by clinical photography, and, if necessary, abnormal gait is videotaped.
