Interviews

•  Phone interview and in-house interviews (if local) of new or potential clients, defendants and/or witnesses

 Case Reviews

•  Screen, evaluate and advise on merits of a case

 Records

• Obtain medical records or other pertinent records
• Identify sources of records
• Viewing of medical records at facilities
• Preparation of medical records (organize, paginate, index)
• Review, analyze, summarize medical records for any type of medical case
• Create case specific reports/chronologies/charts/pain & suffering reports

                      click here for samples of :

Short Report, Narrative Report, Comprehensive Report, Pain & Suffering Report, Timeline

 Research

• Research and integrate medical and nursing literature as it related to the medical facts and issues of a case
• Conduct research on standard of care, causation and long term damages
• Research articles, publications or book chapters authored by plaintiff or defense experts
• Searches:
  • • Research medical issues or standards that apply to a specific time frame
    • Follow-up with references listed in bibliographies of articles
    • Research ongoing medical conditions and damages so see if they are connected in the literature
• Research health care professional's credentials
  • Background information, certifications, licensure dates, sanctions or disciplinary actions taken against providers

 Standard of Care

• Identify and obtain standards of care that apply to your case
• Identify deviations/adherence to standards of care

 Identify

• Potential defendants
• Potential witnesses
• Documents to request
• Theories of liability
• Strengths/weaknesses of the case
• Medical issues to be discussed with appropriate experts or treating physicians
• Facts in the medical record that supports or refutes your position
• Inconsistencies between patient complaints, findings and mechanism of injury

 Policies, procedures and/or protocols

• Identify and review pertinent policies, procedures and/or protocols

 Experts

• Prepare file for expert review
• Prepare letter to experts
• Identify, locate and confer with expert witnesses

 Prepare/advise/educate attorney

• On medical issues of the case
• Understanding of injuries/damages
• For and during legal proceedings
• Assist attorney in making informed decisions regarding continuing or discontinuing with a case

 Independent Medical Exams  (click for "IME" article)

• Prepare client for exam
• Provide IME physician with pertinent records, x-rays, etc.
• Accompany client to IME to observe the exam and be your client's advocate in your absence
• Provide a time line and verbal or written report of exam to include all activities, testing, questioning and examination
• Review, analyze and summarize IME reports
• Compare and contrast IME report with medical records and treating physician reports
• Testify as rebuttal fact witness regarding observations if needed

 Provide support during various stages of legal proceedings, including:

• Discovery (see above areas which apply to specific cases)
  • Depositions
    • Assist in preparing deposition questions
    • Assist in preparing for depositions of health care professionals
    • Attend depositions
    • Review, analyze, summarize depositions associated with the case
  • Trial
    • Assist in preparation of medical documentary evidence; exhibits; experts; and/or attend and assist at trial
  • Other legal proceeding- mediations, arbitration, medical-legal panel

 Expert fact witness testimony  (click for "Fact Witness" Article)

• Introduce medical records into evidence by summarizing the medical records and explaining in lay terms, to help the jury to understand injuries sustained and the care received.

Table comparing the difference in services a nursing expert and consultant provide