Understanding Functional Neurological Disorder (FND): A Practical Guide for PI & CN Solicitors

Understanding Functional Neurological Disorder (FND): A Practical Guide for PI & CN Solicitors

Based on INNEG’s webinar: Symptoms Without Clear Pathology: Neuropsychiatric Insight in PI & CN Claims

This guide was produced by INNEG and is based on key clinical insights shared during our webinar Symptoms Without Clear Pathology: Neuropsychiatric Insight in PI & CN Claims, led by Dr Bruno Silva, Consultant Neuropsychiatrist.

It is intended to support solicitors in recognising, evidencing, and analysing functional neurological disorder (FND) within personal injury and clinical negligence claims and does not constitute clinical guidance or expert opinion on any individual case.

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Solicitors frequently encounter claims where a claimant presents with ongoing, disabling neurological symptoms, yet scans, EEGs, or other investigations are reported as normal or non-explanatory. This apparent mismatch can create uncertainty around diagnosis, causation, and credibility - and, if misunderstood, can weaken otherwise valid claims.

This eBook explains why genuine neurological disability can exist in the absence of structural pathology, drawing on contemporary neuropsychiatric evidence and real-world clinical insight. It explores how functional neurological disorder is diagnosed through positive clinical features rather than exclusion, why symptom inconsistency is often a diagnostic hallmark rather than a red flag, and how functional presentations can closely resemble stroke, brain injury, epilepsy, or spinal pathology.

Written specifically for solicitors, the guide provides a clear framework for assessing medical records, understanding causation using a vulnerability-trigger-maintaining factor model, and avoiding common evidential pitfalls - including over-reliance on imaging or misinterpretation of symptom validity testing. It also addresses prognosis, treatment pathways, and the medico-legal importance of early, accurate expert instruction.

This practical, solicitor-focused eBook supports clearer case strategy, more credible causation analysis, and better-aligned expert evidence - helping practitioners navigate complex claims where symptoms do not fit the scan.

Watch the Full Webinar Here >