Making a claim for PTSD is much the same as making a claim for any personal injury. The strongest cases are always built on sound medical evidence. Here’s some information about the types of information you need, to make a compelling compensation claim for PTSD.
Medical Records
Because the symptoms of PTSD can stretch back over several years, the most important information you need access to when making a claim is your medical records. Most people, however, will have a solicitor working their case for them. In this case, you will need to sign a ‘consent form’ to comply with the Data Protection Act 1998, so that your solicitor may gain access to any relevant medical records on your behalf, so that they can build your case.
Date of Limitation / Date of Knowledge
Your Date of Limitation, or your Date of Knowledge, is defined as the date your injuries first became clear, or the date your accident happened (whichever is soonest). For PTSD sufferers, this is usually the former. To establish your Date of Limitation, your solicitor will firstly review your medical records. If there is no medical history relating to this, then it may be the case that your solicitor uses the original event’s date as your trigger.
It isalso important to consider that you only have three years from your Date of Limitation to bring your claim forward, under the Limitation Act 1980.
Medical Report Detailing your PTSD
To build you a compelling case for compensation, your solicitor needs more than historic medical records. Your solicitor will need a new and up-to-date medical report, that details the extent of your PTSD, your estimated recovery period, and your prognosis for the future, as established by a licensed health professional. To create such a report, it is necessary that you attend a medical examination during the claims process. When you are making a compensation claim for PTSD, this report will be used to form the very basis of your claim.
Details about any Loss of Earnings
In addition to making a claim for your PTSD, you can also make a claim for any financial losses related to your disorder. To do so, however, you need to have evidence. For example, if you wish to claim back travel expenses related to hospital trips, then you need to show receipts for taxi fares and bus fares. And if you wish to claim back lost income because of being unable to work, you will need to provide wage slips, and a letter from your employer that confirms you were unable to attend your place of work on the dates in question.