I used to work with a roadway construction attorney who said "I don't need to know the nuts and bolts of paving a road as long as I have an expert who does." And thank goodness he did have such an expert because, as I informed him, you don't pave a road with nuts and bolts. Okay, so the joke was stupid but it was the best material I had at the time.What did he mean by his comment? He meant it is better for an experienced expert witness to explain complicated issues to a jury than for an attorney to stumble his way through them. That is certainly the case when it comes to complicated medical issues which is why just about every successful medical malpractice lawyer has a Legal Nurse Consultant on staff.
What is a Legal Nurse Consultant?
It may surprise you to learn that many attorneys who practice medical malpractice and personal injury law have no real working knowledge of the complex medical issues the deal with. Many lack the knowledge to understand even simple medical records. I will refrain from naming the dozen or so friends of mine who practice personal injury law as medical record illiterates. So how do they have any idea whether they have a valid medical malpractice, slip and fall, whiplash or other personal injury case? They rely heavily on Legal Nurse Consultants.
A Legal Nurse Consultant is someone with a nursing degree who reviews, analyzes and summarizes medical records for an attorney. As a Legal Nurse Consultant you may choose to work for plaintiff or defense attorneys, governmental agencies, insurance companies or private corporations. You may choose to work in the geographic area where you are currently located or to move around the country.
What does a Legal Nurse Consultant Do?
A Legal Nurse Consultant advises attorneys both prior to, during and after trial (usually on appeal). If you are a person who does not like to give live testimony at trial you do not have to. There are a number of legal nursing consulting opportunities that do not require trial testimony. If you are (like many attorneys) a frustrated actor, then expert trial witness testimony may be right up your alley.
Most Legal Nurse Consultants deal with cases involving medical malpractice, personal injuries, products liability, toxic and environmental cases, worker's compensation, workplace injury, criminal and family law issues.
If you are looking for an opportunity to work in the field of Legal Nurse Consulting, contact one of our attorneys today.
