Nurse Paralegal USA

A plaintiff’s attorney recently hired me to create a chronology of the defendant’s medical records—a task quite different from the usual process of reviewing a plaintiff’s records to identify complaints, diagnoses, treatments, and evidence of pain and suffering. In this motor vehicle accident case, the defendant had been cited for running a stop sign, causing a collision with the plaintiff as he crossed the intersection. Since liability was already established, I initially wondered why the attorney wanted a review of the defendant’s medical history. The paralegal provided a clear explanation: with mediation approaching, the attorney needed to determine if anything in the at-fault driver’s medical records could have contributed to her negligent actions. Specifically, he was looking for medications or health conditions that might have impaired her alertness. After a thorough review, I identified several medications the defendant was taking that listed side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, and confusion. Additionally, I discovered she had a chronic medical condition that caused blurred vision. This information allowed the attorney to enter mediation with a stronger position, using details that could potentially undermine the defendant’s credibility and improve the chances of achieving the desired settlement. Thoroughness truly makes a difference! buff.ly/3CAAUnw #LegalNurseConsultant #NurseParalegal #Medicalrecordsreview #Medicalsummary

Rising to the challenge Independent Legal Nurse consultants are required to be proficient in medical records interpretation. But being the owner of a legal nurse consultant business requires additional skill sets. When I first started Nurse Paralegal USA 10 years ago, I hired a couple of nurses, provided them with a set of report templates, and sent them a case. I would quickly discover that merely providing a report template to a nurse entering this field does not begin to ensure a good work product. There were several times when I would get a report back and it was simply not good enough to send out to the client. I would end up redoing the entire report to send to the client but would still have to pay the nurse that was contracted to do the work in the first place. This was quite discouraging, to say the least! Over the years, I learned to train and mentor my subcontractors. They are required now to go through a probationary period before taking on the full duty of completing a report. It has been a pleasure to work with these nurses and to see them grow in this field. Today, Nurse Paralegal USA has six nurses that have endured the rigorous training process we require to take on complex cases. As the company owner, I am privileged to have such a stellar group of people working in the firm. Our team includes Nancy Saucier (10 years), Brandi Eagle (7 years), Beth Purkey (6 years), Corrinne Thomas (5 years), Jessica Griffin (2 years), and Roberta McDuffie (1 year). Thanks to each one of you for your integrity, hard work, and commitment to providing the best possible medical summaries and analysis for our attorney clients!

Congratulations to our newest nurse reviewer, Roberta McDuffie, ACN S-BC, MSN, BSBA. Roberta is an advanced practice registered nurse with a specialty in Diabetes Education. After 24 years of managing hundreds of research studies, she retired from Tulane University in January, 2024 and joined the staff of Nurse Paralegal USA. Since joining our team, Roberta has successfully reviewed several nursing home and personal injury cases. We are looking forward to a long and productive relationship.

Analyzing medical records to identify demographics Our case synopsis was recently read by an attorney-client who asked where we found so much information about the lawsuit's plaintiff. There was only one answer to the question: "The medical records." In an introductory paragraph of a narrative, one might state, "Mr. Smith is a 60-year-old right-handed man with a high school diploma and some college education. His employment history over the last 20 years has consisted of working offshore as a supervisor for Exxon Mobile. In addition to being married with three children, he does not smoke or drink alcohol. This is his only lawsuit related to motor vehicle accidents." Our nurse reviewers are trained to provide attorneys with a complete picture of the individual filing a lawsuit. For this purpose, we READ the records and compile bits of information that assist the attorney in getting to know the individual, his or her history, and even the credibility of the individual's claim. Whenever your case requires details that go beyond basics, contact a Nurse Paralegal!

Do you need a last-minute medical records summary over the holidays? Our experienced nursing staff is standing by to handle your emergency request. Contact [email protected] of call 504 236-5435.