Case Analysis
Screening a Medical Malpractice Case for Merit
An LNC and physician explaining a case to the attorney[/caption] You are a legal nurse consultant who is asked to be involved in screening a medical malpractice case for merit. The medical records are in hand; someone has to review them. Who should review them, and in what sequence, depends on numerous factors. When should…
Read MoreLegal Nurse Consultants: 4 Medical Record Analysis Barriers
What are the 4 most common medical record analysis barriers you will encounter as a legal nurse consultant? Disorganized medical records The records come into your possession in no particular order. They were scanned and saved to a disk before they were organized, which requires you to sift through them to rearrange pages. You may…
Read MoreSurprising Verdict: Fractured Wrist
Right now I have been reading recent medical malpractice verdicts to find great examples to include in a new book. The one below got my attention. It was a surprising verdict. Surprising verdict in a fractured wrist case The fifty-three year old plaintiff went through cervical surgery. When she awoke, her left wrist was swollen…
Read MoreThe Patient Removed His Own Staples
Would you believe a patient who said a nurse or physicians assistant told him to remove his own staples after he lacerated his leg? The patient removed his own staples. In this interesting case, a 68-year-old man went to the ED with a chainsaw laceration of his left knee. He developed a severe infection in…
Read MoreHospital Quality of Care – Data Available to the Legal Nurse Consultant
Where does the LNC find out information about hospital quality of care? Legal nurse consultants who help attorneys handling medical malpractice and personal injury cases soon develop an understanding of the quality of care rendered by local hospitals – those who appear over and over in the plaintiffs’ medical records. We may provide our clients…
Read MoreNursing malpractice? Death of a 42-year-old
Let’s look at the following situation involving a nursing malpractice case: Facts of a Nursing Malpractice Case A 42-year-old is admitted to an orthopaedic unit after being found in a collapsed abandoned building. He was trapped and pinned under rubble for approximately 27 hours. He sustained a right femur fracture and was also diagnosed with…
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