(Private) Bodily Injury Case Reviews: What Your Forensic Nurse Expert Can Do For You for National Defender Investigator Association
Almost every state has a penal code that relates to the seriousness of the injuries sustained by a victim of a crime. Most states define it as Serious Bodily Injury; some have a lesser called Substantial Bodily Injury. California calls it Great Bodily Injury and it is a felony strike that adds prison time to the sentence. This presentation will review different types of bodily injury and provides insight on how best to litigate them to achieve the desired outcome.
Cases reviewed cover nasal fractures, wrist fractures, head injuries and more. We will talk about expected signs and symptoms, mechanism disputes and disfigurement.
Cases Reviewed:
Wrist Fracture
Fractures are often a factor in determinations. In this case review we will discuss potential defenses and recommendations for expert testimony.
Nasal Fracture
Nasal fractures are unique because they have a high false positive rate. In this case review we will discuss the standards of care in diagnosing nasal fractures and the clinical presentation that is expected when the patient has an acute, or recent, fracture. We also discusses mechanism of other injuries.
Head Injury (Mechanism) (2 cases)
When there is no dispute as to who was involved in the assault, it is important to understand whether the allegations match the mechanism of injury. In this case we will discuss blunt versus sharp object injury characteristics as a manner of determining mechanism.
Fabrication of Injuries/Past Medical History
Victims will sometimes exaggerate their injuries, misunderstand the explanations of healthcare providers, or propose their previous conditions are new. This case review shows how this occurs and discusses how to tackle that in court.
Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the attendee will:
- Be familiar with the general concept as it applies in legal cases.
- Be familiar with different injuries that may constitute bodily injury.
- Be better prepared to litigate a case where bodily injury is charged.
“It was great. Honestly, you do the best webinars out of all the training I’ve been doing on-line during SIP. I love the music/questions component as it keeps me engaged. You cover things quickly and precisely using language that is easy to follow. I never feel like I’m lost during your sessions but yet I still learn a lot or, in the least, get affirmation for the things I already know. You don’t belabor anything and use your webinar time effectively. Thank you for making these sessions available during this crazy time!”
– Kathryn
Speaker
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Tara GodoyBSN RN CFNTara Godoy is a Certified Forensic Nurse and has been working with Criminal and Civil Attorneys for over 10 years. She has a BS in Nursing from the University of Southern California and currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Through consulting and testimony she has assisted both the prosecution and the defense in obtaining an honest and fair resolution in hundreds of criminal cases. Along with her nursing staff and physician contractors, Godoy Medical Forensics has consulted on over 1500 cases nationwide and has worked at both the federal and state levels. Tara has been asked to present for national organizations such as the NACDL and the NDIA at their Forensics conferences in Las Vegas. Tara’s main areas of expertise are Strangulation and Blunt Force Trauma, but testimony is also offered on other cases where traumatic injuries occur or medical record analysis is needed.
