Are you facing a medical case? Do you need to hire a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant to help you win the case? In this article, I share the insider knowledge you NEED to win your Medical and Healthcare related cases.
What is a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant (CLNC)?
A CLNC is a registered nurse who has attained extensive knowledge about the legal system and has completed a rigorous certification course. CLNCs have the expertise and knowledge to uncover and interpret medical and nursing issues in any healthcare or medical-related case. Attorneys are the expert in the legal system, but CLNCs are the expert in the healthcare system.
Top 5 Ways a CLNC Can Help Attorneys Win The Medical Case
As an attorney, you want to be successful in medical-related cases. Here is how a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant can give you the confidence and expertise to succeed in your cases.
1. Clinical Experience
CLNCs are intimately familiar with the inner workings of hospitals and medical practices. They bring years of education, clinical experience, and specialty training to a litigation team.
They understand what happens in the real world of healthcare, and this clinical background and experience are invaluable in analyzing medical-related cases.
2. CLNCs Make Sense of the Medical Record
Reviewing medical records is a complex and time-consuming process that truly requires specialized training and scientific knowledge. The clinical background of a CLNC provides a significant advantage to attorneys in record review and case analysis.
CLNCs can streamline the review process and deliver a comprehensive, easy-to-understand summary of the salient medical issues at hand.
3. Experts on the Standard of Care
A CLNC is an expert on standards of care and their application to a specific clinical scenario. Standards of care vary considerably from one specialty to another, and there can be nuances related to different clinical conditions and presentations.
CLNCs can utilize this knowledge to provide a thorough and well-supported evaluation and opinion on deviations from or adherence to medical and nursing standards of care. They can also evaluate the contribution of deviations from the standard of care on the patient’s clinical outcome.
4. Determining Proximate Cause and Damages
CLNCs can assist the legal team in determining the proximate cause of illness or injury and evaluating damages. A CLNC can identify factors contributing to the relevant illness or injuries and distinguish whether any pre-existing conditions may contribute.
They understand causation and future ramifications of illness/injuries on a plaintiff’s health or wellness. CLNCs can also assist in assessing current and potential future damages.
5. Cost-Effective
CLNCs are cost-effective.
- are efficient and effective at reviewing medical records and pinpointing critical issues
- can screen cases for merit and assist attorneys in avoiding costly, non-meritorious cases
- can be more cost-effective than physician experts for initial case review
- help identify and retain the best testifying experts in meritorious cases.
Legal Nurse Consultant = The Winning Team
CLNCs are essential members of the legal team for any medical-related case, and they are an invaluable resource throughout the litigation process from initial screening through trial. CLNCs review medical records, perform all necessary medical research, prepare reports, assist with discovery and collaborate with testifying experts.
In summary, their attention to detail, education, training, clinical experience, familiarity with the healthcare system, and medical diagnoses and terminology is invaluable to attorneys. They partner with attorneys to supplement their knowledge and form a winning team.
