Legal Consultant


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BASIC DESCRIPTION

Legal nurse consultants (LNCs) are registered nurses (RNs) who use specialized health care knowledge and expertise to consult on medical-related cases. Legal consultants provide a variety of services to attorneys, insurance companies, and hospitals in legal matters where health, illness, or injury are issues, such as personal injury, product liability, medical negligence, toxic torts, workers’ compensation, risk management, and fraud and abuse. LNCs assist claims managers with the investigation, evaluation, and management of general and professional liability claims by obtaining, organizing, reviewing, and summarizing pertinent records and documents. They assist in the procurement of expert reviews and evaluation of care, and they provide input into the claims resolution strategy based on evaluations. They support managers with implementation of risk-management activities, all with the objective of controlling or minimizing losses to protect the assets of the corporation. Other responsibilities include drafting litigation documents, conducting medical and legal research, analyzing medical records in depth, and assisting the claims manager with investigation of general and professional liability claims. Employment opportunities are available in law firms, hospitals, insurance companies, government agencies, and consulting firms, as well as in the form of self-employment.

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

RN preparation. Certification is available from the American Legal Nurse Consultant Certification Board.

CORE COMPETENCIES/SKILLS NEEDED

■ Clinical experience, preferably in a high-risk area
■ Statistical background/data management experience preferred
■ Liability claims/paralegal experience or educational equivalent also preferred
■ Ability to work independently
■ Ability to be a self-starter
■ Comfortable making decisions
■ Excellent reading and writing skills
■ Confidence to talk with experts

RELATED WEB SITES AND PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

■ American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (www.aalnc.org )
■ The American Association of Nurse Attorneys (www.taana.org)
■ Medical-Legal Consulting Institute, Inc. (www.legalnurse.com)

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