Key point: the trauma score expresses, in a standardised form, the medical severity of injuries and their consequences. The scale provides values or ranges, but selecting the applicable value requires medical analysis, adequate documents and a causal link with the accident.
01 / Definition and purpose
What the trauma score means.
The framework is established by ASF/Ministry of Health Order no. 1/2,293/2022 and its official trauma scale. It applies to bodily injury or impairment of health caused by vehicle accidents.
The assessing medical expert considers the reported symptoms, clinical examination, medical records and investigations, identifies relevant morphological and functional findings and distinguishes the effects of the accident from unrelated disease or changes.
- the number of days of medical care converted into points;
- a value determined solely by a diagnosis written in a discharge note;
- an automatic calculation that may disregard progress, complications or prior health;
- a guarantee of a final amount or legal outcome.
02 / Structure of the scale
Three components,
assessed separately.
Initial traumatic injury
The injury produced at the time of the accident, such as a wound, fracture, dislocation or organ injury. Subtype, location and severity influence the statutory value.
Post-traumatic complications
Documented adverse developments after trauma, such as certain infections, delayed union or other complications listed for the relevant injury.
Permanent post-traumatic consequences
Permanent deficits or sequelae assessed after sufficient progress and supported by objective clinical or investigation findings.
A consequence is not scored merely because the examined person reports it. It must be objectively demonstrated, placed within the scale and causally linked to the trauma.
See also when complications and permanent consequences can be assessed.
03 / Method
How the score is calculated,
step by step.
- 1
Reconstruct the medical chronology
The accident, initial presentation, diagnoses, treatments, operations, rehabilitation and later assessments are reviewed.
- 2
Determine causation
Only injuries and consequences medically supported as accident-related are retained; unrelated pre-existing or later pathology is considered separately.
- 3
Classify every injury
A general diagnosis is insufficient. Subtype, location, treatment and severity criteria must justify the value or position within a range.
- 4
Add documented complications
Post-traumatic complications are scored only if confirmed and included in the applicable method.
- 5
Assess permanent consequences
Persistent functional or anatomical deficits must be objectively demonstrated; a stable evolution may be required before a final assessment.
- 6
Apply special rules and limits
Not every value is added mechanically. The scale includes rules for multiple complications, multiple permanent consequences and maximum values.
- 7
Give reasons in the report
The report states the LT, CP and CPP values and the total, with reference to the available medical information and identified limitations.
Conceptual formula
Total score = sum of the applicable LT, CP and CPP valuesThe sum is made only after medical classification and subject to the special rules, maximum values and conditions in the scale.- Multiple complications: where one injury causes several applicable post-traumatic complications, each complication is calculated.
- Multiple permanent consequences: where one injury causes several CPPs, the score of the most severe permanent consequence is used.
- Overall ceiling: the total cannot exceed 200 points, corresponding to a persistent vegetative state; the scale also contains specific limits.
The scale contains ranges, alternative conditions, functional thresholds and non-addition rules. The same diagnostic label may cover forms of different severity. Without records, examination and causal analysis, a result may be artificially increased or reduced.
04 / Explanatory example
An arithmetic example,
not a medical assessment.
Suppose that analysis of a hypothetical case justifies the following values. These numbers illustrate only the arithmetic and do not correspond to a particular injury.
| Item assessed | LT | CP | CPP | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Injury A | 4 | 2 | 8 | 14 |
| Injury B | 2 | — | — | 2 |
| Hypothetical total | 16 | |||
In a real case, the difficult part is not addition but the medical justification for every value: correct classification, whether a complication is truly post-traumatic, whether a consequence is permanent and which aggregation rule applies.
05 / Romanian RCA compensation
How the score relates
to compensation.
For amicable settlement, Law no. 132/2017 provides that the value of one traumatic point equals twice the national gross minimum basic salary guaranteed at the date of the accident.
This formula is not a promise of payment. Romanian law allows the compensation to be adjusted according to proven individual circumstances. The bodily injury score concerns physical suffering; psychological trauma must be proven separately. In court, medical, medico-legal, psychological and statistical evidence may be considered.
The medical report does not establish liability, negotiate on behalf of the parties or replace legal advice.
06 / Preparing the assessment
Documents usually required.
- medical records drawn up immediately after the accident;
- hospital records, discharge summaries and medical letters;
- imaging results and related reports;
- documents concerning operations, treatment and rehabilitation;
- later specialist assessments and relevant functional measurements;
- existing medico-legal documents, if any;
- documents confirming the date and circumstances of the accident.
The list is adapted to each case. Incomplete or inconsistent documents may require additions or further examinations, with the assessed person's consent.
See also Medico-legal certificate and REMA report: what is the difference? and the guide to causation in medico-legal assessment.
07 / Frequently asked questions
Important clarifications.
Is the trauma score the same as the number of days of medical care?+
No. Days of medical care and the trauma score are separate assessments, with different purposes and methods. A longer period of care does not automatically convert into a particular number of points.
Is a medico-legal certificate sufficient?+
Usually it is not the only document reviewed. The assessment may also require initial medical records, investigations, hospital documents, treatment, rehabilitation and relevant follow-up assessments.
Must two people with the same fracture receive the same score?+
Not necessarily. The subtype of injury, treatment, complications, functional outcome, permanent consequences and their causal relationship with the accident all matter.
Does the score automatically determine the final amount paid by the insurer?+
No. The score is the medical benchmark used by the Romanian RCA framework for amicable assessment of physical suffering. Legal rules and the proven circumstances of the individual case also affect the result.
08 / Official sources
Legal framework consulted.
- Law no. 132/2017 on compulsory motor liability insurance — Romanian Legislative Portal
- ASF/Ministry of Health Order no. 1/2,293/2022 — Romanian Legislative Portal
- Official trauma score schedule — Romanian Legislative Portal
This information is general and describes the Romanian framework. Every assessment requires analysis of the individual medical and factual circumstances.