When you claim personal injury or medical negligence compensation, attending a medical examination is a very important part of the claims process. Even though you may have visited your GP or the hospital after the accident, you will be asked to have a medical examination with an independent medical expert (doctor) to provide an objective medical report to support your claim.
The doctor will question you concerning the circumstances of the accident/injuries and will conduct a physical examination to write you a medical report.
The amount of compensation you will receive will depend on the medical evidence described in the medical report. This is why you should be as accurate as possible and mention even the smallest pain upon your medical examination. The better you will communicate the pain and symptoms with the medical expert, the more accurate diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment (if required) you will receive.
Top 10 Questions Asked During Medical Examination
Before visiting the doctor you can prepare yourself and think about the most often-asked questions and your possible answers. The following questions are routinely asked in appointments:
- Could you please describe how the injury happened?
- Could you please describe where you are feeling the pain?
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how painful is your injury?
- When did the pain begin?
- Is the pain constant or does it come and go?
- Do you feel any better over time?
- Have you visited a doctor after the accident?
- Have you had any treatment since the accident?
- Has the injury restricted you from certain activities?
- Did you have similar pain before the accident?
How to Describe Your Pain After an Accident
You may be surprised how difficult it can be to describe all the pain you experience after an accident or injury. Usually, just saying that you are in pain is not enough for an accurate medical report and therefore doctors require specific and in-depth information on all your injuries and effects.
There are three important questions about the pain to focus on:
- Where does it hurt?
- How bad does it hurt?
- What does your pain feel like?
We will guide you on how to best describe and articulate your pain.
Where does it hurt?
Use this picture as a map to point out the areas which you feel are in pain after the accident.
Image source: https://carmodymoran.ie/2016/10/20/book-of-quantum-2016/
How bad does it hurt?
You will be asked to describe your pain in each affected area on a scale from 1 to 10 with 1 being the weakest and 10 being the strongest pain:
Image and scale explanation source: https://www.spineuniverse.com/blogs/cooney/how-explain-your-pain-doctor#
0 – no pain at all
1 – very mild pain. You can barely notice it.
2 – minor pain. You are annoyed but can live with it.
3 – noticeable pain. You can adapt to it.
4 – moderate pain. You can ignore it for some time.
5 – moderately strong pain. You cannot ignore it, however, you can still perform some of the activities.
6 – moderately strong pain which interferes with your normal activities.
7 – severe pain. Your ability to perform normal daily activities is limited.
8 – intense pain. Your physical activity is severely limited.
9 – excruciating pain. You are unable to converse.
10 – unspeakable pain. Your mobility may be compromised.
What does your pain feel like?
These commonly used words will help you to describe what exactly you are feeling in the painful area:
- aching
- burning
- cramping
- crushing
- dull
- fearful
- heavy
- nauseating
- pins and needles
- sharp
- sickening
- stabbing
- shooting
- splitting
- stretching
- tender
- throbbing
- twisting
Claims 24 provides claim assistance services to all victims of non-fault accidents, medical negligence, and personal injury. We operate on a no-win no fee agreement basis and do not charge our clients unless the claim is successfully settled. Our partners are leading personal injury solicitors and authorized rehabilitation centres across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. We can provide fast, proficient, and reliable services to all of our clients.
About Claims 24
We always make sure to arrange independent medical appointments with local doctors for the convenience of our clients. Unlike other similar companies, Claims 24 provide all the support needed to heal faster and receive maximum compensation for any claim. We get in touch with our clients before each medical appointment and support them through the examination process and help them accurately articulate their pain to the doctor during the examination.
If you or someone you know was injured in a non-fault accident or was a victim of medical negligence or personal injury, then contact us today and we will provide a free consultation with an expert.
