An MRI is a magnetic resonance imaging test that is done to examine the internal portions of a person’s body. This test is typically done to examine the non-bony portions of a person’s body. MRI images give information about a person’s body and injuries in a different way than x-rays or ultrasounds.
Typically, in personal injury cases, a medical professional will order an MRI when the patient complains of pain, which cannot be diagnosed through physical examination, and other medical causes that have been ruled out, such as broken bones or internal bleeding.
It is up to the medical professional to examine the injured person and determine whether an MRI is warranted based upon the symptoms that are presented. Usually, physicians examine the patient in a number of ways through speaking with the patient and physically examining him or her thereafter. The medical professional will make a determination as to whether an MRI or other diagnostic testing or study is warranted.
Anyone who has been involved in a traumatic incident should be evaluated by a medical professional to be examined and to rule out the possibility of any internal injuries, which may not be apparent to the naked eye. Should a medical healthcare professional fail to order an MRI test and a malignant tumor or infection goes unchecked, there could be very serious repercussions on a person’s health.
Often times, a personal injury attorney will collect all of the client’s pertinent medical records, which may include the MRI report. The best evidence for use at trial is the MRI film, which can look like an x-ray. The film is critical for a number of reasons.
First, it will allow the members of the jury to actually examine the film and allow the medical professional, who is offering his or her expert testimony, to literally point-out to the jury the physical condition that is causing the client’s symptoms. This is an important issue in presenting an individual’s case to a jury because the jury will be able to literally see the physical condition that is causing the pain.
The other thing an examination of the film does, is allow for an objective interpretation of the film. Typically, the examining radiologist at the medical facility generates the MRI report. Like with any medical examination, the review of the actual MRI film can be, on rare occasions, open to more than one interpretation. Therefore, to corroborate or refute the findings of the MRI report, it is always best to obtain the actual MRI film.
The manner in which the MRI report is used in any individual’s case depends upon that individual case. In certain circumstances, it may be the most beneficial piece of evidence that is used to advance the claim and, in other circumstances, there may be other forms of evidence that are best used to advance the injured person’s claim.
