Frequently Asked Questions

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There are a number of ways a legal nurse consultant can help, Prior to filing a lawsuit they can participate in interviews with potential clients. They can analyze medical records to determine the viability of the clients claims. Conduct medical research on particular issues. Evaluate medical records to form an opinion as to causation and damages. Legal nurses can also act as an expert witness and explain particular facts to a jury breaking down pertinent medical concepts to lawyers and jurors. The bottom line is they can do so much more. They are there for you.

 For attorneys, few things are more important than making sure that valuable resources are not wasted on meritless actions. Due to the high level of investment required for medical cases, the cost of hiring a legal nurse consultant to prepare a merit report prior to retaining a case is invaluable. It prevents wasting money on a case that is likely to be a loser. Once a case is retained, legal nurse consultants’ reports can provide organized evidence and arguments that can speed up the preparation of legal documents and facilitate faster settlements. That’s why the most successful lawyers are utilizing the services of legal nurse consultants throughout their practice.

Despite wide differences in experience and perspectives, a consensus emerged among all of the groups. The most commonly identified legal nurse consultant activities were:

1. Identify medical management issues
2. Identify medical issues not addressed or explained in the records
3. Identify malingerers
4. Point out potential medical complications of injuries
5. Identify medical malpractice

The most common activities attributed to the role of the paralegal were:

1. Obtain medical records
2. Identify costs causally related to the accident
3. Organize medical records
4. Summarize medical records
5. Identify missing records

Paralegals were more easily able to identify functions of their own profession than they were able to define the role of the legal nurse consultant.  The bottom line is both important to a case. With each focusing on their perspective area of expertise.