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Continuing Legal Education Seminars & Workshops

All of our webinars are FREE!

Click on the title for more information about each individual presentation. To see the schedule and register for any of our free webinars, go to this page. If you would like a private webinar for your organization, please contact us.

 

NEW! Bodily Injury Case Reviews: What your Forensic Nurse Expert can do for you

Almost every state has a penal code/statute 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 5 cases to address different types of bodily injury and provides insight on how best to litigate them to achieve the desired outcome.

Reading Medical Records: What you need to know without “Googling” every term

Medical Records can be daunting for any criminal attorney or investigator to review. The purpose of the presentation is to assist attorneys in focusing their review of medical records and to focus on review of records that contain the information that both civil and criminal attorneys are commonly seeking. To make it relevant and interesting, the records included in this presentation follow an attempted murder case and highlight not only what is in the records but also what might be missing. 

Blunt Force Trauma: What every Attorney/Investigator needs to know

This presentation is designed to teach attorneys and investigators about various injuries that result from Blunt Force Trauma. Bruises/Contusions, Abrasions, Lacerations and Avulsions are all discussed with definitions, examples and information on each wound. Dating of bruises is included as well is information on multiple injuries. Pressure ulcer prevention, assessment and staging are discussed. 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.

Strangulation: Evaluating Strangulation Evidence from a Medical Perspective

In approximately 50% of strangulation/suffocation cases, there is no visible sign of injury; in an additional 35% of cases the injuries are too minor to photograph. This presentation is designed to educate attorneys and investigators on what to look for to determine if strangulation occurred and the risk of lethality. Anatomy, vocabulary, statistics, mechanism, petechiae, and signs and symptoms are all reviewed. A case study is reviewed when time permits.

Head Trauma, Comprehension and Intoxication: What to look for in EVERY case

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.

Bodily Injury Case Reviews: What your Forensic Nurse Expert can do for you

Tara M Godoy, BSN RN CFN 

Almost every state has a penal code/statute 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 5 cases to address different types of bodily injury and provides insight on how best to litigate them to achieve the desired outcome.

A brief review of the legal definition of bodily injury and expert testimony is done prior to case review. (5-10 mins)

Cases Reviewed (10-15 mins each):

Fractures are often a factor in bodily injury determinations. In this case review we will discuss potential defenses and recommendations for expert testimony.

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.

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.

Disfigurement may be a factor that the jury will consider when determining whether bodily injury has been met. In this case we will discuss what types of wounds will result in visual disfigurement.

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.

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

Tara M Godoy, BSN RN LNC
Certified Forensic Nurse

Summary:

The records included in the seminar 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 seminar 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 seminar 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 seminar 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

This seminar 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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