When working out the sum of financial damage on account of more difficult social opportunities associated with health damage which developed gradually during a prolonged time interval comprised the date Jan. 1, 2002 it is necessary to use a special procedure. According to the temporary provision of 9 of public notice no. 440/2001 more difficult social opportunities caused by health damage which occurred before this public notice came into force, i. e. before Jan. 1, 2002, should be evaluated according to hitherto valid regulations, i. e. public notice no. 32/1965 in the wording of subsequent regulations. Therefore it is necessary in some instances to attempt to estimate the health status of the patients to the date of Jan. 1, 2002. The submitted paper gives instructions how to proceed when defining damage on account of more difficult social opportunities and demonstrates its applica-tion on several examples.

        Key words: occupational disease, deterioration of social opportunities, scoring deterioration of social opportunities