Where a plaintiff's symptoms have both physical and psychological components, the plaintiff bears the burden of establishing that the physical consequences alone satisfy the narrative test for serious injury. However, the concept of 'disentangling' psychological from physical consequences is not always required: if the medical evidence sufficiently identifies the physical consequences as constituting a serious injury, no stripping away of psychological consequences is necessary. Vocational assessors do not isolate incapacity by cause; it is for medical evidence to establish the nature and consequences of the injury, and for the judge to determine whether the statutory criteria are met.
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