Seminars & Workshops

Click on the title for more information about each individual presentation. Check back as each one will be available online soon!

 

Medical Record Review – Click for more info

A great presentation for any attorney or investigator that handles medical records.

Blunt Force Trauma – Click for more info

Primarily for criminal defense attorneys, personal injury attorneys, investigators or nurse consultants

Strangulation – Click for more info

A presentation on strangulation from a medical perspective. Designed to aid attorneys in understanding the medicine behind these assaults. 

Traumatic Brain Injury – Click for more info

A presentation on Traumatic Brain Injury and how it relates to comprehension during the investigation, and intoxication.  Designed for investigators and attorneys in DUI or assault cases.

Medical Record Review: How not to “google” every term

Tara M Godoy, BSN RN LNC
Certified Forensic Nurse

Summary:

The records included in the presentation follow an attempted murder case and highlight not only what is in the records but also what might be missing. The purpose of the presentation is to assist attorneys in focusing their review of medical records by locating summaries within the documents, avoiding “filler,” and identifying red flags. Participants will learn how to find the information that will assist them in determining when an expert is needed.

Highlights

  1. Introduction
  2. Discharge Summary, H&P, Consults
    • Review of records that summarize the patient’s care while in the hospital
    • Distinguishing between narrative reports
  3. Emergency Department Reports
    • Review of the types of records and where to find critical information
    • Brief review of labs
  4. Transport Records
    • How to tell the difference between Pre-hospital (911 providers) and Interfacility transports and levels of care provided
    • What information can be critical to your case
  5. Surgery and Radiology
    • How to read operative reports
    • Where to find the information you need on XRay and CT Scan reports
  6. Medications and Orders
    • When is a drug actually given and why orders can be confusing
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Blunt Force Trauma – What the Skin Can Tell Us

Tara M Godoy, BSN RN CFN LNC

Summary:

This presentation reviews several aspects of blunt force trauma, appropriate for both civil and criminal attorneys and investigators. It is designed to teach participants about various injuries that result from Blunt Force Trauma. The use of case studies and emergency room stories gives the attendee insight into how these injuries occur and how to assess the mechanism. The purpose of the presentation is to assist attorneys and investigators in understanding the causative factors behind injuries from Blunt Force Trauma and provide them with in-depth knowledge regarding the potential indications of such injuries.

Highlights

  1. Introduction
  2. Bruises/Contusions
    • Dating bruises
  3. Abrasions
  4. Lacerations
  5. Avulsions
  6. Multiple Injuries
  7. Patterned Injuries

 

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Evaluating Strangulation Evidence from a Medical Perspective

Tara M Godoy, BSN RN CFN LNC

Summary

Strangulation/suffocation in domestic violence is gaining momentum in the criminal courts as family violence groups advocate for stronger sentencing and more felony charges. Educating attorneys and judges is critical to ensure judgments are made based on facts and medical science. This presentation discusses the statistics of these assaults and what may be present in the discovery. Using case studies, medical charts and photographs, the audience will learn pertinent vocabulary and anatomy with a common goal of realizing the main issues that will drive a case to a fair resolution. Attendees will leave with a knowledge of what may constitute Great or Significant Bodily Injury, the common injuries seen and what to expect from experts.

Highlights

  1. Introduction
  2. Anatomy
  3. Vocabulary
  4. Statistics
  5. Strangulation
    • Methods
    • Timing to LOC and death
  6. Petechiae
  7. Signs/Symptoms
  8. Legal Focus
    • GBI/SBI
    • Lethality
  9. Case Study (as time permits)
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Head Trauma, Comprehension and Intoxication – What to look for in EVERY case.

Tara M Godoy, BSN RN CFN LNC

This presentation will cover the different types of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) that result from trauma to the brain to build a foundation of how trauma affects the brain, and then will dive into the application in criminal cases. Discussion will include aggressive behavior, alcohol intoxication and consent capacity after TBI. Criminal attorneys and investigators for both the prosecution and defense will benefit from understanding the affect that head trauma has on defendants and/or victims in criminal cases.

Head Trauma/TBI

Types of Bleeds

Concussion

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy

TBI in your case

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