Health and the Law: Why Legal Nurse Consultants are Sought After

A Legal Nurse Consultant (LNC)is a registered nurse who has had special training to consult on medical-related cases in court.

The LNC helps lawyers understand medical documents. Moreover, they bridge the gap for the lack of knowledge the attorney may have on the health care system.

A common misconception about LNC is that they’re the same as paralegals — they’re not. Paralegals assist attorneys in the delivery of legal services and they require law education before being one. The LNC, however, is a medical practitioner first and legal education is not a necessity to become a consultant.

Why are Legal Nurse Consultants Sought After?

They are diamonds in the rough. Juggling their work and this side gig is not easy, especially when they still have to go to schools offering Legal Nurse Consultant programs. There are many areas of need for these practitioners, which make them in demand, like the following.

Expert Witnesses

In 2005 alone, there were 2,449 medical malpractice cases—25% of which were won by the plaintiff. As lawyers, theirexpertise only goes so far and may not reach the medical field. Here’s where LNCs come in handy—with their knowledge they can back up a client’s statement by standing as an expert witness.

With their background in health, they provide credibility to claims and statements.

Medical Case Reviews

Medical cases come with medical documents that need deciphering and explaining. With all the legal education and amendments to keep in mind, lawyersmay not be able to grasp the health care standards and facts. With a legal nurse consultant theywill have no difficulty interpreting medical jargons.

Depositions

For out-of-court settlements, getting a deposition from an LNC will be helpful in making a client’s statement believable and factual. Simply put, a deposition is a written form of a statement, just like when an LNC is put on the stand.

It’s not an easy job, and it’s a road not many nurses are willing to take; making the demand for LNC’s even higher.