Top 3 Reasons Why You Need a Legal Nurse Consultant during your IME/DME
A legal nurse consultant is a support source to the plaintiff during an independent medical examination conducted by a physician chosen by the defense. At de Bruyn Legal Nurse Consulting, we make sure we do our research and thoroughly understand your expectations.
If you are apprehensive about the IME and suspect a misrepresentation of facts in court, choose our firm to hire a DME nurse observer in California.
What is an Independent Medical Examination? (IME)
Independent Medical Examination (IME) is an examination conducted by a licensed medical professional in a legal case. When a plaintiff files a lawsuit due to personal injury, they usually claim a physical or mental health issue, which the defendant is most likely to challenge.
In cases involving personal injury, the defendant usually has the right to have the plaintiff examined by a doctor they choose. The defendant typically requires the plaintiff to be examined by a doctor specializing in the same field as the plaintiff’s doctor. For example, if the plaintiff has been visiting a neurosurgeon for their injuries, the defendant will get the plaintiff examined by their neurosurgeon.
Similarly, suppose the plaintiff has several injuries and calls multiple doctors to testify at the trial. In that case, the defendant will usually ask the court to have the plaintiff examined by different doctors. This medical examination conducted by the doctor chosen by the defense is known as the Independent Medical Examination (IME) or the Defense Medical Examination (DME).
Why You Need to Hire a Legal Nurse Consultant
Independent nurse observers are registered nurses who are skilled healthcare professionals with legal training. They are usually hired as consultants for medical-related legal cases.
If you fear that the DME doctor paid for by the defense may not produce an impartial report, your best bet is to hire a legal nurse consultant to observe the medical examination. Here are the top 3 reasons an independent nurse observer needs to attend an IME:
1. Specialized Service
In the absence of a legal nurse consultant, you may decide to attend the IME as an attorney, but your presence may not be taken well by the physician. An independent nurse observer has the required medical and legal expertise to scrutinize the examination to check if it was performed correctly.
After receiving the client’s details, the nurse observer calls the client to discuss the upcoming physician’s visit. We educate your client on how to answer questions. We teach them about the Response letter or the boundaries letter in layman’s language. We discuss what they can expect from the visit, along with a particular focus on the “boundaries list.” The client has the right to say no to any question that is not allowed according to the boundaries list.
The nurse observer makes sure the clients know that they should not answer questions about injuries other than those caused by accident. We text the boundaries list and schedule a short meeting before the appointment to address any doubts.
2. Reliable Witness
In case there is a discrepancy between the proceedings of the medical examination and the physician’s report, a DME nurse observer may testify as a witness in court. If you attend such a medical exam as an attorney and testify in court about a particular aspect you observed, there may be a risk of you being considered biased.
We assure you of quality services at de Bruyn Legal Nurse Consulting due to three decades of nursing expertise in healthcare, risk services, and personal development. An independent nurse observer can serve as a fact witness by evaluating and explaining all the aspects affecting the examination during trial.
3. Verification of the Proceedings
A legal nurse consultant documents and audio record the conversation between the plaintiff and the IME / DME doctor. The physician is more likely to do a thorough and unbiased job when they know they are being observed.
Observation of the physician’s visit by an experienced legal nurse consultant is likely to result in a more objective report for your client. The independent nurse observer reports the physician’s demeanor, the interventions carried out, and the tests performed.
We conduct a careful evaluation of the doctor’s questions and the plaintiff’s reactions during the examination to prepare a detailed report. Our responsibilities include presenting a report of the client’s demeanor and responses to you as an attorney.
At de Bruyn Legal Nurse Consultant Services, we make your client our priority and save you from tiresome medical paperwork. The client is sure to feel more comfortable in our legal nurse consultant presence to support them during the DME.
If you are looking for a DME nurse observer in California, please explore our website and contact us.
