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In many cases, it will be necessary to seek a medical opinion to confirm the diagnosis and the likely (i.e. on-balance-of-probabilities) causation of an injury or a disease. Note, that the client's authority given on the claim form allows Delegates to approach treating doctors and examine existing reports without further ado.

In an injury claim, Delegates should investigate:

  1. the diagnosis of the inju — ry and the prognosis
  2. whether there is a causal link between ADF employment and the injury or aggravation (see 15.1).

In a disease claim, Delegates should investigate:

  1. the diagnosis of the disease, when it onset and whether it is still current
  2. whether ADF employment contributed to the origin or aggravation of the disease
  3. the degree of that contribution (SRCA cases) – material or significant
  4. what were the employment factors that contributed to the disease
  5. whether the employment factors continue to exert an influence on the disease (see 14.2).