What is Medico-Legal?
You may not be familiar with the term ‘Medico-Legal’: it is the provision of expert help and testimony from someone who is well respected and experienced in their chosen field who may be required to give evidence in the case against someone who has suffered medical malpractice.
These individuals are normally referred to as ‘Expert Witnesses’.
Why Do I Need an Expert Witness?
Unfortunately in the current climate there are often insurance claims and malpractice law suits which are brought to court without proper grounding or indeed because of a fraudulent claim being made.
In order to ensure the legality of such a claim or lawsuit it is necessary to call upon an ‘Expert Witness’ who can offer the benefit of their experience as a way of proving or disproving the validity of such cases.
With this in mind if you have suffered an injury or been involved in an accident that has resulted in the instigating of a court case then an ‘Expert Witness’ may be called to give testimony on your behalf.
What is Medico-Legal Photography?
This is a form of photography that is used as a means of providing evidence in such lawsuits and claims and is also used as a means of reinforcing the testimony given by an ‘Expert Witness’.
If the injuries sustained are such that the only way to settle the matter is in a court of law it is required by the insurance companies of all parties concerned that photographic evidence is gathered as a record.
Many injuries heal through time and it may be the case that by the time a case comes before a court the injuries have healed and for the most part disappeared so photographs are needed to provide a documented record that can be submitted at the time of the case in order for all parties concerned – including a judge and possibly a jury – to understand fully the nature of the injuries sustained.
In the case of a Road Traffic Accident (RTA) such photographs are taken to give an idea of the speed at which the vehicle or vehicles involved were travelling and also as to the nature of any hazards that may have been present leading to the accident’s occurrence in the first place.
Medico-Legal Photography as Evidence
As we have already mentioned one of the purposes of such work is to provide evidence in cases which go before a court.
It is not always possible for a jury to visualise the nature of such injuries or the reasons behind why an accident took place and this photography is used in conjunction with the testimony of an ‘Expert Witness’ to provide the jury with such a picture.
A jury may be shown maps, x-rays and reports provided by the police and insurance companies alike but Medico-Legal Photography goes one step further than this and allows those involved the opportunity to see what happened before, during and after an accident and also gives them the chance to see what effects these injuries have had on the claimant.
There are many organisations which provide Medico-Legal services and they can be found in your local Yellow Pages or by carrying out a search on the Internet.
However for the most part you should be aware that if such evidence and information is required then your Insurance company will retain the services of such an ‘Expert Witness’ for the duration of your claim even if that does not mean going to court.
