The CompAlliance Legal Nurse Consultant assists claims professionals and attorneys in preparation of the best case possible by acting as their ‘medical liaison”. Medical records are analyzed and medical references are cited and included in reports prepared for the client. The CompAlliance Legal Nurse Consultant analyzes provider reports with a trained eye and assists the claims professional and attorney in identifying needs for additional clarifying information to either defend or dispute the provider’s conclusions.
Legal Nurse Consultant practice areas include:
- Workers’ Compensation
- Personal Injury
- Product Liability
- Medical Malpractice
- Toxic Torts and Environmental Cases
- Criminal Law
- Case Management
Legal Nurse Consultant engagement is typically requested when:
- Medical reports are brief, poorly written or do not address the medical issues of the case.
- Medical reports have concluding summary statements not supported by objective information.
- Reports have perceived conclusive errors or inconsistencies that do not meet industry evidence based guidelines.
- Assistance is needed to formulate medical questions for inclusion into a letter to be addressed to a qualified medical examiner (QME), agreed medical examiner (AME), independent medical examiner (IME) or treating physician.
- Conclusions regarding future medical treatment, apportionment, and permanent disability are inconsistent, confusing or incomplete.
- Cases with potential high dollar amounts are set for deposition or trial.
The CompAlliance Legal Nurse Consultant:
- Screens medical malpractice and personal injury cases for merit.
- Analyzes, Organizes and Indexes medical records.
- Discovers missing pages and documents from medical records.
- Investigates medical records for alteration or tampering.
- Defines diagnostic procedures and medical terms.
- Identifies adherence or deviation from the Standard of Care.
- Assists with deposition.
- Provides deposition summaries prior to trial.
- Aids with and develops exhibit preparation.
- Locates expert witnesses.
- Develops Life Care Plans.
Areas in which cost savings are realized as a result of engaging the services of the CompAlliance Legal Nurse Consultant:
- Questions are formulated to assist in deposition of medical providers that address the specific medical issues of the case.
- Preparation of the case for trial.
- Assuring statutory report are directed for medical completeness and are admissible for evidence in dispute resolution.
- In California Workers’ Compensation cases, the nurse assists in investigation of compensability within a 90-day window.
- Assurance that prescribed treatment meets appropriate Evidence Based Medical Criteria or Guidelines.