1: What is a Legal Nurse Consultant?

A: A Certified Legal Nurse Consultant is a Registered Nurse who assists attorneys, insurance companies, Healthcare facilities and providers, and other companies by reviewing medical records and patient treatment pertinent to a lawsuit.  We work behind the scenes as independent contractors on a case-by-case basis assisting lawyers who work on any health-related cases.  We are brought in on a wide variety of personal injury, medical malpractice, workers compensation, criminal, civil cases, product liability, environmental, toxic tort, and sick building syndrome cases, to name a few   Our specialties, however, are nursing home neglect, abuse and other senior health issues.

2: Why do attorneys need CLNCs?

A: There are over 1 million attorneys in the United States and some 25% deal with medically-related cases.  They rely on specially trained Legal Nurse Consultants to help them build cases for their clients.  While the attorney is the legal expert, the Registered Nurse uses his or her nursing expertise to address the client’s injuries in the case.  We look at the extent and mechanism of the injury and its long and short-term effects.  We also address any life style patterns and other diagnoses the client may have that may play a part in those injuries.  As nurses, we are aware of the numerous standards of care that exist and alert you when we identify a breach in those standards.  This means that a once simple case is now complicated with medical malpractice issues that need to be addressed.  In situations like this, we will help you identify who is liable for those mistakes and suggest the appropriate classification of expert witnesses you will need at deposition and trial.

3: Do CLNCs work only for attorneys?

A: No. While many CLNCs consult independently or work in-house for attorneys, other CLNCs provide consulting services to insurance companies, government agencies, and risk management departments of non-profit organizations and private corporations.  The nurses at Wuerl Legal Nurse Consulting also guide owners of new start-up home Health agencies from the brainstorming discussions through the application and licensure process, dual certification with Medicare and Medicaid, and beyond.

4: What other services might a CLNC provide attorneys?

Certified Legal Nursing Consultants provide thirty services behind the scenes which are helpful to attorney-clients. Some of these services include:

·   Screening or investigating cases for merit

·   Defining applicable standards of care

·   Identifying standards that have been breached

·   Assessing alleged injuries and identifying contributing factors

·   Summarizing, translating, and interpreting medical records utilizing LexisNexis CaseMap and TimeMap

·   Identifying potential defendants

·   Identifying potential expert witnesses in the appropriate fields that you may need during deposition and trial

·   Assist with writing deposition questions

·   Researching medical topics relevant to your case

·   Reviewing, analyzing and summarizing depositions

·   Summarizing our findings in narrative reports.

5: What types of services do you offer start up Home Health Agencies?

A.   There are a number of services we provide owners of these companies.  Some of the ways we guide you in the beginning stages of your new business include:

·   Reviewing your business plan

·   Helping you identify your target market

·   Help you write and personalize Policies and Procedures that incorporate the Federal and State Administrative Codes for Home Health care required for licensure

·   Teaching you the meaning of Homebound Status

·   Stressing the Conditions of Participation and identifying the numerous ways one documents these at every visit and phone call

·   Ongoing education to help you maintain compliance

·   And many more.

6: Why should I hire a Legal Nurse Consultant?

A: There are a number of reasons you should hire a CLNC to strengthen your case.

EXPERIENCE:  We have a clinical background and experience which includes interpretation of medical records, documents and medical-legal issues.  Our expertise is in Geriatrics.

RESOURCEFULNESS:  We know our way around the healthcare system. We utilize our nursing knowledge and expertise, work within standards of care, and engage the assistance of our professional contacts to get the job done.

KNOWLEDGE:  We bring a thorough understanding of medical issues and nursing trends to the total litigation process.

7: How many nurse consultants will be assigned to my project?

A: We will assign the appropriate number of consultants to guarantee quality while meeting your deadline.  No job is too big or too small.

8: I already have a physician on my team who reviews my cases for me.  Why would I need a Certified Nurse Consultant?

A:  It is great that you already have a physician reviewing records for you.  Physicians have many years of schooling to specialize in their fields of expertise and are very knowledgeable in their day-to-day roles.  However, many physicians review the record in light of their specialties and may not review the nurses’ notes, where most of the answers are found.  Patients usually have numerous physicians providing care for them in the hospital setting.  Each of these doctors spends a minimal time reviewing the tests they ordered before talking to and assessing the patient.

The Registered Nurse provides care to the patient 24/7, and updates the doctor on the patient’s labs, test results and bio-psycho-social issues pertinent to that physician’s care.  The physician is there only a few minutes, though he or she is available by phone the rest of the time. Therefore, we feel you would be better off having both the physician and the CLNC to strengthen your cases.

Home care agencies are required to have a Medical Director who is on the Advisory Team and on several other committees, as well as being a medical liaison when clients have medical issues when their physician may not be available.  As a Legal Nurse Consultant, our focus is to teach you what you need to know to operate a Licensed Home Health Agency and to help you maintain and stay complaint with the numerous regulations in this arena.

9: So, are you a nurse paralegal?

A: We are Registered Nurses who offer you our nursing knowledge and expertise in order to strengthen your cases.  We took certification class to learn how to blend our nursing knowledge with the basics of the legal world to assist you on cases that contain health issues, so that you may have more time to work on the legal issues pertinent to the case.

Nurse Paralegals took on a second career as a paralegal, and though they may spend some time answering questions regarding the medical issues on a case, their primary responsibility is now focusing on the legal tasks assigned to them by their employer.

10: What makes Wuerl Legal Nurse Consultants stand out from the other CLNC firms?

A: Debbie’s expertise is in Geriatric nursing and in Home Health Care.   Our nurses have a variety of backgrounds to assist you with your cases, and when necessary, we have access to a large number of nurses in other specialties when we are faced with situations that are outside our field of expertise.

Debbie opened a home care agency in Milwaukee focusing on the Southeastern Asian population; the agency received its certification through Medicare and Medicaid within two months after she took that position.  Debbie has extensive knowledge of federal and state guidelines as well as the numerous standards of care that are followed in these settings.

11: How many nurse consultants will be assigned to my case?

A:  We will assign the appropriate number of consultants to guarantee quality while meeting your deadline.  No job is too big or too small.

12: Where did you receive your training as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant?

A:  We are graduates of the Vickie Milazzo Institute located in Houston Texas, and are active members in the National Alliance of Certified Legal Nurse Consultants, the largest group of CLNCs in the country. 

13: Is your work guaranteed?

A:  Yes.  We have a risk free guarantee, meaning if you have concerns about our work product within the first seven days after we complete a portion of your project, we will re-do it to your satisfaction with no additional charge to you.