What Changed Because of the Injury?
A personal injury medical evaluation should distinguish the condition itself from the larger questions of what caused it, how it changed function, what treatment was required, and what consequences are expected to remain.
Diagnosis & Findings
Identify the injuries and conditions supported by the history, examination, diagnostic testing, procedures, and treatment records.
Causation & Aggravation
Address whether the event caused a new condition, aggravated a preexisting condition, or contributed to the patient's current medical state.
Functional Loss
Explain how the injury affects mobility, lifting, sitting, standing, use of an extremity, endurance, or other relevant activities.
Work Restrictions
When relevant, describe medically necessary restrictions and the relationship between those restrictions and the documented injury.
Permanent Impairment
Evaluate permanent impairment when appropriate and when the requested medical question requires it.
Future Medical Needs
Address prognosis and reasonably anticipated treatment or medical needs when supported by the evidence.
Timing Alone Does Not Explain the Medicine.
The fact that symptoms appeared after an event may be important, but a medical causation opinion should also consider mechanism of injury, anatomy, objective findings, prior medical history, competing causes, and the course of the condition.
Ellis Clinic's Occupational & Legal Medicine approach is to make that reasoning visible rather than leaving the reader with an unsupported conclusion.
The Pertinent Records Matter
A useful evaluation depends on the records needed to understand the injury and its course. Depending on the case, that may include emergency records, imaging, operative reports, specialist records, therapy, prior records involving the same body area, work information, and other relevant medical evidence.
Appointment Gateway
Use the central Ellis Clinic appointment page to begin and select Personal Injury.
START HERE →About Doc Ellis
Learn more about John W. Ellis, M.D. and Ellis Clinic's work in Occupational & Legal Medicine.
ABOUT DOC ELLIS →Low-Speed Accidents
The existing Ellis Clinic site also contains educational material concerning low-speed accident injury questions.
READ MORE →Need a Personal Injury Medical Evaluation?
Start with Ellis Clinic's appointment information so the appropriate records and medical questions can be identified.