Trauma & PTSD
Expert Witness Reports
CPR Part 35 compliant expert witness reports for personal injury, clinical negligence, criminal, family, and asylum proceedings — prepared by consultant psychiatrists and psychologists specialising in trauma and stress-related disorders under DSM-5-TR and ICD-11.
Medico-legal assessment of
trauma and PTSD claims.
Our chambers prepares CPR Part 35 compliant trauma assessment reports for solicitors handling personal injury, clinical negligence, criminal, family, and asylum cases. Members of our chambers specialise in PTSD, complex PTSD, and dissociative disorders under DSM-5-TR and ICD-11.
Each report addresses diagnosis, causation, and prognosis with reference to the Civil Justice Council 2014 Guidance and Practice Direction 35. Our experts hold GMC Specialist Register or HCPC registration and are instructed under CPR 35.3 to provide independent, court-directed evidence.
Three stages where
trauma reports are critical.
Pre-action protocol
Our chambers accepts instructions at the Letter of Claim stage to establish psychiatric injury and causation before proceedings. Reports support applications for prior authority under Legal Aid or disbursement funding under Conditional Fee Agreements.
Directions & allocation
The trauma assessment report is exchanged under CPR 35.4 and forms the basis for the Schedule of Loss. Our experts provide joint statements under CPR 35.12 and respond to Part 35 questions within 28 days as required by CPR 35.6.
Trial & settlement
Our reports are relied upon in Joint Settlement Meetings and at trial. Members of our chambers give oral evidence under cross-examination, with reports structured to withstand scrutiny under Bolam/Bolitho and Montgomery standards.
What the trauma report
contains, section by section.
Expert credentials
GMC Specialist Register or HCPC registration, MRCPsych or BPS Chartered status, and the expert’s medico-legal experience. The declaration of independence under CPR 35.3 is included at the outset.
Instruction & materials
The instructing party, the questions posed, and the documents reviewed — including medical records, witness statements, and any previous expert reports. Assumptions made are listed expressly under Practice Direction 35.
Clinical history
Pre-morbid baseline, index trauma, and subsequent psychiatric history. Where a caps 5 assessment is conducted, the PCL-5 scores and clinical interpretation are integrated into the diagnostic reasoning.
Mental state examination
The findings from the clinical interview, including symptom clusters under DSM-5-TR or ICD-11. For complex PTSD psychiatrist UK instructions, dissociative symptoms and emotional dysregulation are addressed specifically.
Diagnosis & formulation
The expert’s opinion on PTSD, complex PTSD, or other trauma-related disorders, with differential diagnosis and clinical reasoning. The caps 5 assessment findings are referenced where administered.
Causation & prognosis
The link between the index trauma and the claimant’s current condition, with reference to material contribution principles. Prognosis with and without treatment is set out to inform quantum.
Statement of truth
The signed declaration of compliance with CPR Part 35 and the expert’s overriding duty to the court. The report concludes with the expert’s acknowledgement of the Civil Justice Council 2014 Guidance.
How the trauma assessment
is conducted.
Our chambers ensures transparency in methodology to meet CPR Part 35 requirements. Each step is documented so the court can trace the reasoning from instruction to opinion.
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01
Records review
Full review of GP, hospital, mental health, and social services records. Material entries are identified expressly in the report body to comply with Practice Direction 35.
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02
Clinical interview
Trauma-informed interview conducted in person or via secure video, typically lasting 2–4 hours. Breaks are structured around the claimant’s wellbeing and disclosure capacity.
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03
Standardised instruments
Where clinically indicated, instruments such as the PCL-5, IES-R, or caps 5 assessment are administered. Selection and rationale are documented in the report.
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04
Symptom validity
Symptom validity is addressed transparently where concerns are raised, without crossing into credibility findings reserved to the court under CPR 35.3.
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05
Formulation & opinion
The clinical formulation links the index trauma, pre-morbid baseline, and current presentation. The caps 5 assessment findings are integrated into the diagnostic and causation reasoning.
Every procedural route
requiring trauma evidence.
Our chambers accepts instructions across all UK legal proceedings where trauma and PTSD assessment reports are required. Members are instructed under CPR Part 35, FPR 25, and CrimPR 19 as applicable.
Questions from
solicitors we work with.
Do your experts conduct caps 5 assessment for medico-legal reports?
Yes. Members of our chambers administer the CAPS-5 where clinically indicated for PTSD diagnosis. The assessment is integrated into the clinical interview and findings are reported under DSM-5-TR criteria.
Can you assess complex PTSD for UK medico-legal cases?
Yes. Our experts include consultant psychiatrists specialising in complex PTSD under ICD-11. Reports address emotional dysregulation, negative self-concept, and interpersonal difficulties as core diagnostic features.
Are your trauma assessment reports accepted by the CICA?
Yes. Our reports comply with the 2012 CICA Scheme requirements. They establish the recognised psychiatric injury, causation, and prognosis to support applications for compensation under the Scheme.
Do you accept instructions for historic abuse cases?
Yes. Our chambers accepts instructions for historic abuse claims, including those subject to s.33 Limitation Act 1980. Reports address the impact of delayed disclosure and the current psychiatric presentation.
Can you provide a PTSD expert witness for criminal proceedings?
Yes. Members of our chambers are instructed under CrimPR 19 for fitness to plead, diminished responsibility, and sentencing reports. Reports comply with M’Naghten and Pritchard standards.
Do your experts attend joint expert meetings for trauma cases?
Yes. Attendance at joint expert discussions under CPR 35.12 and preparation of the joint statement are within the standard scope of instruction. Our experts are available for in-person or remote meetings.
Need a trauma or PTSD
expert for your case?
Send a brief case summary — claimant details, procedural stage, and any time-critical deadlines — and our chambers will confirm expert availability, scope, and timescales within one working day.