As the Chinese curse says, "May you live in interesting times." That's certainly true for medico legal experts.
They are involved in various legal cases, including medical negligence, insurance claims, and criminal cases. They prepare reports and provide expert witness testimony.
Doctors that engage with the medico-legal process often report a great deal of job satisfaction. However, they also experience some frustrations and problems.
QUALIFICATIONS
Medico legal work allows health practitioners to view clinical cases through a different lens. This type of work requires a broad range of skills, including preparing liability and causation reports and medically-based evidence for court proceedings. In addition, healthcare professionals are often the bearer of bad news for their colleagues, so excellent communication skills are important.
Whether they are investigating claims for compensation or assisting with GMC fitness to practice cases or inquests, medico legal experts must be able to balance the demands of different clients and their competing interests. They must understand that obtaining conclusive medical evidence is not always easy or possible and may involve invasive tests and procedures.
Moreover, medico legal work can be stressful because it involves sensitive information and the potential for conflicting opinions from the claimant and their solicitor. As such, medico legal experts must understand the Duty of Candour and professional boundaries.
EXPERIENCE
Medico legal experts have a wide range of medical and legal skills. They must be able to understand complex medical and pharmaceutical information and convey this information in a way that is easy to comprehend for untrained courtroom personnel, jury members, and witnesses. This can be a challenging task, but it is essential to being a qualified medico legal expert witness.
Often, medico legal cases involve legal proceedings such as insurance claims, criminal cases, and family law cases. A medico legal expert may also be required to prepare reports for solicitors based on factual assessments. Medico legal work can be full-time or part-time, including working on multiple cases simultaneously.
Despite the stereotypes of gavel-banging and silver-haired judges, most court cases are resolved fairly and without undue stress. However, fraud is still a significant problem costing the British insurance industry billions of pounds yearly. It's important for both lawyers and medical experts to recognise the signs of dishonesty so that they can spot it.
REPUTATION
The physician who decides to enter the medico legal arena usually begins by accepting work from government agencies or insurance companies. As he takes on more and more cases, he starts to be approached by private firms and medical protective agencies who want their answers to specific questions, such as the percentage of disability caused by a particular injury.
The medico legal expert must be able to objectively assess the case without favoring one side over another. Some experts on call to a particular plaintiff or defendant have a bad reputation in the field of medico legal expertise for their lack of impartiality.
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FEES
Medico legal work can be lucrative, and some doctors are drawn to it. However, it is not without its challenges. There are concerns about medical experts who become involved in medico-legal work as a business proposition and lose sight of their professional values.
Some medico legal experts have a policy of refusing to work for either the claimant or defendant barristers. Medico legal experts are usually asked to produce an opinion following a medical examination and review of medical records, which include past and present.
CONCLUSION
A high-quality report takes time and the ability to understand a range of specialised medical terms. It also requires communicating clearly and in a way accessible to the layperson. Therefore, It is important for the expert to meet with instructing solicitors, case handlers, and other relevant parties regularly