In article <[log in to unmask]>, John R PASKINS
<[log in to unmask]> writes
>A recent TV programme suggested that 40% of post RTA claims for whiplash injury
>were fraudulent.
>
>All of these people moust have been seen by a doctor so does this mean that we
>as a group can be fooled by 40% of the people all of the time?
>
>I would be interested in what you think. My view is that most of the patients I
>see have genuine symptoms.......
>
>BUT I understand that some agencies suggest that people are coached about
>symptoms etc. Are we gullible? What signs do you think can be faked? What are
>the clues?
>
>What do you reckon?
>
I used to do a lot of medico-legal work. Whiplash was by far the
commonest problem that I saw
The country has decided that we should have an adversarial legal system
and so an expert retained by the claimant is not going to be in the
business of 'catching them out' - it is for the other side to get an
expert opinion if they doubt that of the claimants. Of course, the cost
of this is prohibitive and so virtually everything gets settled without
a fight. This of course is not natural justice but is the only justice
that we have
I think a large number of clients that I saw were probably 'playing it
up', but I dutifully recorded what they told me and my examination
findings
Cheers
--
Jel Coward
The UK Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician and Command Physician course is
on 4-10th November 2001 at Glenmore Lodge in Scotland
http://www.wildmedic.org
http://www.wemsi.org
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'There's no such thing as bad weather - just bad clothing"
Anon Norwegian
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