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Articles by Contributing Authors |
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Medical Legal Q&A: What Are Disc Herniations and Bulges?
By Benjamin B. Broome, M.A.
The most common types of personal injury cases we encounter are those involving herniated or bulging intervertebral discs. If you are unfamiliar with intervertebral disc anatomy and disc injury, please read on.
Full Article >>> |
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The Ethics of the Third Party Medical Evaluation
By Michael Freeman, PhD, DC, MPH
The potential for fraud in healthcare by providers is readily recognized in all aspects of society. The high fees charged by doctors for their services regardless of outcome is frequently the source of humor, derision, and anger. The reason for this potential for fraud is what is known in the business of healthcare finance as the “agent relationship;” the individual who profits from the sale of the service is also the arbiter of necessity of the service. How then, does the independent medical (or chiropractic) examiner fit into the scheme of appropriate and necessary healthcare?Full Article >>> |
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How to Use Medical Demonstrative Evidence in Your Practice
Medical Demonstrative Evidence, or MDE, including medical illustrations, animations, anatomical models and computer presentations, helps attorneys and their expert witnesses communicate medical information, clearly and concisely, to a lay or professional audience. Full Article >>> |
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School Violence: Effective Response Protocols For Maximum Safety And Minimum Liability
By Laurence Miller, PhD
School violence is not really back in the news because it never really left. Eclipsed by the war on terror, recent domestic mass violence incidents like Virginia Tech - as with Littleton, Columbine, and others before it - remind us that most killers of Americans are still our own citizens and that many of these murders take place where we expect them least, our schools. This column will provide some insight into the psychology of this modern form of mass murder and provide some practical recommendations for preventing, responding to, and recovering from school violence in a manner that can maximize student safety and minimize school liability. Full Article >>> |
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May It Please The Courts: Testifying Tips For Expert Witnesses
By Laurence Miller, PhD
Most clinicians who serve as expert witnesses regard testifying in court as a necessary, sometimes unpleasant, but
frequently challenging and rewarding part of their jobs. However, other clinicians whose work is not primarily with
the legal system, may become intimidated if they are subpoenaed to testify at deposition or trial.
Full Article >>>
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Workplace Violence and Psychological Trauma: Clinical Disability, Legal Liability, and Corporate Policy
By Laurence Miller, PhD
In virtually no other area of clinical, forensic, and business managerial practice is education, training, and prevention so important in forseeing and planning for emergencies as in the area of workplace violence. This has important implications for legal responsibility and liability with regard to adequate security, preparation for emergencies, and response to crises. Full Article >>> |
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Not Just Malingering: Psychological Syndromes In Brain Injury Litigation
By Laurence Miller, PhD
If you're an attorney who likes a good fight and has plenty of money to spend on it, then read no further. But if you'd really like to represent your client fairly - plaintiff or defendant - and need a range of interpretive psychological options to deal with traumatic disability syndromes including TBI, and if you'd like more choices that either "I'm crippled, give me lots of drugs and money," or "You're a lying sack of dirt, be glad we don't throw your malingering butt in jail," then read on. Full Article >>> |
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The Forensic Psychological Examination: What Can I Expect?
By Laurence Miller, PhD
Dr. Miller explains what a forensic psychological examination is, and answers such questions as "What does that mean, exactly?" and "How is that different from any other kind of psychological examination?". Full Article >>> |
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Civil Competencies: Psychological and Legal Factors
By Laurence Miller, PhD
Dr. Miller answers the question: "My family member has been in ill health, and is having difficulty managing her own finances, making decisions, and running her household. We consulted a family law attorney, and he advised us to have our family member undergo a psychological competency evaluation. What does this entail? What happens if our family member is judged incompetent?". Full Article >>> |
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Criminal Competencies: Psychological and Legal Factors
By Laurence Miller, PhD
Dr. Miller answers the question: "My brother is facing trial for a criminal felony. Our family told his defense attorney that he has a history of psychiatric treatment, and now they're sending him to a psychologist for a competency evaluation to see if he's fit to go to trial. What's that mean? How will it affect his case?". Full Article >>> |
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The Insanity Defense: Psycholegal Considerations
By Laurence Miller, PhD
Dr. Miller answers the question: "What is the 'insanity defense'? Are mental health experts guilty of letting criminals off the hook with psychobabble excuses for their unlawful actions? Should the insanity defense be abolished?". Full Article >>> |
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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Psychological Injury
By Laurence Miller, PhD
Dr. Miller answers the question: "My husband was mugged in a poorly-lit parking garage a few months ago. Although he sustained very minor physical injuries, his whole personality seems to have changed, and he's become isolated, irritable, unsociable, and jumpy. He can't concentrate and is making mistakes on his job. He denies it, but I hear him talking in his sleep like he's having bad dreams a few nights a week. And he's used up all his sick days at work. Sometimes he tells me he thinks he thinks he's going crazy. Is he?". Full Article >>> |
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Police Psychology: What Is It?
By Laurence Miller, PhD
Police Psychology is the application of behavioral science and mental health principles to the concerns of police officers, their families, the department, and the community. Police psychologists perform a wide range of functions, which can be divided into several broad categories. Full Article >>> |
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Preparing in Advance for the Medical Expert's Deposition
By Betsey Herd, J.D., M.A. and Janabeth Evans, R.N., R.N.C.; Attorney's Medical Services, Inc.
Gathering information about the adverse medical expert prior to taking a deposition can optimize the time spent during the deposition. Most of the information is available at no cost, and together an organized legal assistant and lawyer can become a potent force at a deposition. Full Article >>> |
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Medical Information, The Internet, and You
By Janabeth Evans, R.N., R.N.C.; Attorney's Medical Services, Inc.
As a medical-legal consultant and Internet researcher I am asked every day to find authoritative medical literature references for a broad spectrum of topics. ...The Internet provides free access to a great deal of the medical literature, either in full text or citation/abstract format. Full Article >>> |
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Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Cases: Maximizing Your Client's Recovery
By Bruce L. Braley; Dutton, Braun, Staack & Hellman, P.L.C. in Waterloo, Iowa
This article focuses on some of the practical challenges in handling botched gallbladder surgery cases to help you prioritize your responsibilities and (hopefully) make the most out of your client's case. Full Article >>> |
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Cross Examining the Psychiatric Expert
By Dorothy Sims; Founding Partner; Sims, Amat, Stakenborg & Henry, PA ( http://www.ocalaw.com/ )
Dorothy Sims is the founding partner in Sims, Amat, Stakenborg & Henry, PA with offices in Gainesville and Ocala, Florida. She has lectured throughout the US and internationally on medical/legal issues. Full Article >>> |
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Handling Expert Witnesses in Complex RSD Cases
By Mary Alice McLarty; Attorney at Law ( http://www.maryalice.com/ )
Why is the presentation of the case to a jury unique and challenging when it involves Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD)? ... The credibility problems in this type of injury case are similar to the minor brain damage or even whiplash case. Full Article >>> |
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Boosting Traffic to Your Firm's Web Presence
By Michael Shambaugh; CTO; ParticleWEB Services ( http://www.particlewebforlaw.com/ )
The key to boosting the traffic on your web presence is to make sure you maximize the chances for visitors to find you through the internet's most popular search engines. This article lists some steps you can take to improve your web site's compatibility with the major search engines. Full Article >>> |
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Does Your Practice Have a Web Presence?
By Michael Shambaugh; CTO; ParticleWEB Services ( http://www.particlewebforlaw.com/ )
In a nutshell, a web presence should be a complete, memorable, predictable presence on the Internet for your firm. A web presence is, by definition, easy to find initially, easy to get back to, and easy to interact with. This article explains the key elements necessary when creating a web presence. Full Article >>> |
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