Is the term Legal Nurse Consultant (LNC) buzzing around your case? Who is that, and why do you need one?
A Legal Nurse Consultant holds a valid Registered Nurse license and offers expertise in medically related legal settings. LNCs provide a valuable skillset in critical analyses of clinical issues in a case. Attorneys might need LNC services to build sound arguments in medical malpractice, personal injury, long-term care, toxic tort, product liability, workplace injury, nursing home negligence, or other cases involving health-related complications.
What does a Legal Nurse Consultant do?
In short: a lot! LNCs can do some of the following and more, depending on their specific role and case needs:
- Screening cases for merit
- Analyzing medical records to identify case facts, some of which may only be found by a medically trained professional
- Organizing medical records
- Developing reports for use as an attorney’s study tools
- Literature reviews and research on potential causality in support of case analysis
- Assessing alleged damages to ensure the diagnosis, the disease/injury and the treatment are consistent
- Interviewing clients related to medical treatment and history
- Consulting with healthcare providers
- Life care planning
- Serving as an expert witness or facilitating searches for applicable expert witnesses
Hiring an LNC is a cost-effective approach to evaluating strengths and weaknesses of a medical-legal case. Registered Nurse Consultants are most helpful when medical evidence at hand contradicts itself, inconsistent evidence is found, if information appears to be missing from the evidence, and when more specific medical knowledge is required.
How do you know if you need one?
Your attorney is in the best position to assess whether a Legal Nurse Consultant might be an asset to your case; but if you think it might help, ask. Not every firm is familiar with engaging LNCs. You want the best chance at maximum recovery for your injury.
At Vrana Law Firm, we have a dedicated Legal Nurse Consultant for cases in which we identify a need for clarification, analysis, or expert opinion. If you’ve been injured and have questions about pursuing compensation, you can meet one-on-one with a Vrana Law Firm attorney at no charge or obligation to explore your options.