Medicolegal assessments.

• Plaintiff and defendant solicitors in personal injury and compensation matters
• Workers’ compensation insurers and self-insurers
• Motor vehicle injury claims, including matters involving the Insurance Commission of WA
• Life, total and permanent disability and income protection insurers
• Matters involving capacity, guardianship and estate questions

• Psychiatric – diagnosis, causation, prognosis, treatment needs, capacity for work and, where requested, assessment of permanent impairment
• Psychological – psychological injury and its impact, cognitive assessment, symptom validity and the effect of injury on daily functioning
• Occupational therapy – functional capacity, activities of daily living, care and support needs, and work capacity evaluations
• File reviews and supplementary reports – responses to further questions, comments on other experts’ reports and second opinions

Because our psychiatrists, psychologists and occupational therapists work in the same practice, we can coordinate assessments when a matter needs more than one discipline, and keep the timing and communication in one place rather than across several providers.

Our assessors understand that their overriding duty is to the court, not to the party who engages them. In line with the Harmonised Expert Witness Code of Conduct adopted by the Supreme Court of Western Australia, every report we prepare:

• acknowledges the code of conduct and the assessor’s duty to the court;
• stays within the assessor’s area of expertise, and says so when a question falls outside it;
• distinguishes clearly between facts, assumptions and opinions;
• considers the evidence in a balanced way, including material that does not support a conclusion; and
• states when the information available is insufficient to reach a firm opinion, and what further information would help.

• The questions asked, answered in order and in plain language
• A summary of the documents reviewed and the history obtained
• Findings from interview, mental state or functional examination, and any standardised measures used
• Diagnosis or functional findings, with the reasoning that supports them
• Opinions on causation, prognosis, treatment and capacity, as requested
• The assessor’s qualifications and the code of conduct acknowledgement

Every report is quality reviewed before it is released. The review checks that each question has been answered, that the documents relied on are listed accurately, and that the report is clear, complete and internally consistent. The opinions remain the assessor’s own. The review never changes an assessor’s conclusions, which is as it should be given their duty to the court.

We usually offer an appointment within four weeks of receiving a complete brief, and deliver the quality-reviewed report within ten business days of the assessment. If a matter has a hearing or limitation date, tell us when you refer and we will confirm before booking whether we can meet it.

A clear brief is the single biggest influence on a useful report. Before you refer, it helps to have:

1. The specific questions you would like answered, numbered.
2. The relevant legal tests or definitions the assessor should apply, if any.
3. Relevant medical records, treating practitioner reports and previous assessments.
4. Any surveillance, statements or other material you intend to put to the assessor.
5. Key dates – the incident, claim, hearing and any limitation dates.
6. The client’s contact details, any interpreter or accessibility needs, and who should receive the report.