Determining whether an injury was caused by an accident is often one of the most important medical questions in a personal injury claim. Symptoms may begin after a motor vehicle accident, fall, or other traumatic event, but timing alone does not necessarily establish medical causation.
A medical legal causation evaluation helps clarify the relationship between an incident and a diagnosed medical condition. Michael Jaffe MD provides objective medical-legal analysis based on medical records, diagnostic imaging, patient history, physical examination findings, pre-existing conditions, and the mechanism of injury.
The goal is to provide a medically supported opinion that helps attorneys and other involved parties better understand whether an injury was caused, aggravated, or influenced by the event in question.
What Is Medical Causation?
Medical causation refers to the relationship between an event and a person’s injury, symptoms, or diagnosed condition.
In personal injury litigation, a physician may be asked to determine whether an accident medically contributed to conditions such as:
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Sciatica
- Radicular pain
- Nerve injuries
- Musculoskeletal injuries
- Spinal conditions
- Chronic pain
- Functional limitations
A thorough medical legal evaluation does not simply assume that symptoms occurring after an accident were caused by that accident. Instead, the physician considers the complete medical picture before reaching an opinion.
Reviewing the Mechanism of Injury
One important part of a causation analysis is understanding the mechanism of injury.
The physician considers how the accident occurred and whether the forces involved are medically consistent with the reported injury. For example, the medical issues associated with a motor vehicle collision may be different from those resulting from a fall or another form of trauma.
Understanding the mechanism helps determine whether the diagnosed condition is reasonably consistent with the event being evaluated.
Evaluating the Medical Timeline
The timing and progression of symptoms are also important.
A physician may review when symptoms were first reported, when medical treatment began, how symptoms changed over time, and whether there were gaps in care.
Medical records may include emergency department documentation, physician visits, physical therapy notes, pain management records, procedure reports, and other clinical information.
Establishing an accurate medical chronology helps place the injury and treatment history into proper context.
Reviewing Pre-Existing Conditions
Many individuals have pre-existing medical conditions before an accident occurs. Degenerative changes in the spine, prior injuries, chronic pain, previous surgeries, and earlier episodes of back or neck pain may all be relevant.
A pre-existing condition does not automatically mean that a new accident had no medical impact.
The physician must consider whether the event caused a new condition, temporarily aggravated an existing condition, permanently worsened a prior condition, or was unrelated to the symptoms being reported.
This distinction can be especially important when evaluating medical causation and apportionment.
Considering Diagnostic Imaging and Objective Findings
Diagnostic imaging can provide useful information during a medical legal review. MRI scans, CT scans, X-rays, and other studies may identify disc changes, arthritis, fractures, nerve compression, or other abnormalities.
However, imaging findings should not be evaluated in isolation.
Some abnormalities may have existed before the accident or may represent age-related degenerative changes. The physician compares imaging results with the patient’s symptoms, physical examination, medical history, and prior studies when available.
Objective clinical findings can help determine whether the medical evidence supports the reported condition.
Determining Causation and Apportionment
After reviewing the available evidence, a physician may provide an opinion regarding causation.
The analysis may consider whether the incident caused the condition, aggravated a pre-existing condition, contributed partially to the symptoms, or is medically unrelated to the current complaints.
Apportionment may also be considered when more than one factor contributes to the patient’s condition. These factors can include previous injuries, degenerative disease, underlying medical conditions, or subsequent events.
A well-supported medical opinion should explain the reasoning behind these conclusions rather than simply providing a diagnosis.
Medical Treatment, Future Needs, and Function
A physician may also evaluate whether past treatment was medically appropriate and whether future care may be necessary. Future medical needs can potentially include medications, physical therapy, injections, procedures, surgery, or other treatment.
The evaluation may also address how an injury affects daily activities, quality of life, physical function, and the ability to work.
When appropriate, impairment ratings may provide additional information regarding lasting functional loss.
The Importance of Objective Medical Legal Analysis
Medical-legal conclusions are independent of the referral source.
Michael Jaffe, MD provides objective medical opinions for both plaintiff and defense attorneys. His approach considers medical records, diagnostic imaging, patient history, physical findings, pre-existing conditions, mechanism of injury, the temporal relationship between an incident and reported symptoms, and analysis of alternative explanations.
Clear medical reasoning can help attorneys better understand complex injury questions and make informed decisions regarding personal injury and civil litigation matters.
Request a Medical Legal Evaluation
When a personal injury matter involves questions about diagnosis, causation, apportionment, treatment, future medical needs, impairment, or functional capacity, a detailed physician review can provide important medical perspective.
Contact Michael Jaffe MD to learn more about medical legal services, independent medical evaluations, medical record reviews, and expert medical opinions for personal injury, medical malpractice, and civil litigation matters.