Due to the highly technical nature and continued rise of medical malpractice claims, it is imperative to stay on top of the skills needed for a successful outcome to your case. Order today to gain a thorough understanding of a common medical malpractice case from start to finish.

1. The Law
2. Effective New Client Screening and Intake
3. Medicine 101 for Attorneys
4. Effective Trial Preparation
5. The Expert's Role: How to Make or Break Your Case
6. Tactical Trial Pointers
7. Ethical Traps to Avoid
8. Dealing With Medical Liens Within Settlement

Continuing Education Credits:   

* denotes specialty credits

1. THE LAW
   9:00 - 9:35, Amy Collignon Gunn
   1. Current Case Law and Legislative Update
   2. Understand Physician and Hospital Liability
   3. The Law of Damages
2. EFFECTIVE NEW CLIENT SCREENING AND INTAKE
   9:35 - 10:05, Amy Collignon Gunn
   1. Initial Client Interview
   2. Which Cases to Avoid–Assess the Validity of the Case
   3. Utilize Medical Expert Consultation Before Agreeing to Take the Case
3. MEDICINE 101 FOR ATTORNEYS
   10:20 - 11:00, Amy Collignon Gunn
   1. Terminology You'll Need to Know and Use
   2. Common Medical Procedures Encountered in Medical Malpractice
   3. Deciphering Medical Records
   4. Resources for General Medical Info
   5. Experimental Therapy and Alternative Medicine
   6. Using Medical History to Establish Wrongful Death
4. EFFECTIVE TRIAL PREPARATION
   11:00 - 12:00, Genevieve Nichols
   1. Compelling Discovery
   2. New FRCP Rules of Electronic Evidence
   3. Taking and Defending Depositions
   4. Using Technology to Collect and Analyze Data
   5. Initial Court Filings
   6. Preserving and Organizing Evidence for Trial
   7. Sample Checklist
5. THE EXPERT'S ROLE: HOW TO MAKE OR BREAK YOUR CASE
   1:00 - 1:35, Genevieve Nichols
   1. Locating Experts
   2. Interviewing Tactics
   3. Threshold for Qualification
   4. Preparing Experts
   5. Avoiding Expert Bias
   6. Dangers of Relying Too Heavily on Professional Testifiers
6. TACTICAL TRIAL POINTERS
   1:35 - 2:25, Genevieve Nichols
   1. Tips for Jury Selection
   2. Effective Opening and Closing Statements
   3. Proof of Causation
   4. Introducing Medical Records
   5. Direct and Cross-Examination
   6. Proving Damages
7. ETHICAL TRAPS TO AVOID
   2:40 - 3:40, Christine A. Vaporean
   1. Competing Interests: Physicians and Insurance Companies
   2. Medical Records Confidentiality
   3. Practice Advertisement
8. DEALING WITH MEDICAL LIENS WITHIN SETTLEMENT
   3:40 - 4:30, Christine A. Vaporean
   1. Medicare
   2. Medicaid
   3. ERISA

AMY COLLIGNON GUNN is a member of The Simon Law Firm, P.C. in St. Louis where she focuses her practice exclusively on plaintiff personal injury work, including product liability, medical negligence, premise liability and motor vehicle accident cases. She earned her J.D. degree, cum laude, from St. Louis University School of Law. Ms. Collignon Gunn has been recognized for her commitment to her clients and the legal community through receipt of the John C. Shepherd Professionalism Award in 2006, the Lon O. Hocker Trial Lawyer Award in 2007, the 40 Under 40 Award presented by the St. Louis Business Journal in 2008 and the Women's Justice Rising Star Award in 2009. She is licensed to practice in Missouri and Illinois, is a member of numerous bar organizations, and currently serves as a board member of the Women Lawyers' Association of Greater St. Louis and the Board of Governors of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys. 

GENEVIEVE NICHOLS is a partner with the firm of Coffey & Nichols. In the past ten years, she has first chaired medical malpractice, product's liability, and other injury cases, as well as second chaired cases with Mary Coffey and assisted with and handled solo numerous cases that were resolved before trial. Ms. Nichols also has done appellate work in the Eastern District Court of Appeals and the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals. She was president of the Women Lawyers' Association of Greater St. Louis for the 2007-2008 term. Ms. Nichols has co-authored a Missouri Bar Deskbook supplement and is an adjunct professor at St. Louis University School of Law, teaching Trial Advocacy. In 2008, she received the Missouri Bar Foundation's Lon O. Hocker award for excellence in trial advocacy as a young lawyer. Ms. Nichols has been named a Rising Star by Missouri-Kansas Super Lawyers since 2008. She is a graduate of SLU Law and a graduate of Loyola Marymount University.

CHRISTINE A. VAPOREAN is a principal at the law firm of Brown & James, P.C. Ms. Vaporean graduated, magna cum laude , from Saint Louis University with a bachelor's degree in political science in 1995. She graduated from Saint Louis University in 1998 with both a Juris Doctorate degree and a Master of Arts degree in public administration. Ms. Vaporean practices in the areas of health care provider liability defense and employment discrimination defense. Her experience in the defense of health care providers ranges from obstetrics cases to nursing home cases. Ms. Vaporean also represents employers at all stages of employment discrimination claims, from the pre-claim investigation stage through litigation and trial. She has been a speaker at several professional seminars on medical and nursing liability matters and has authored publications on issues affecting both health care providers and employers. She is a member of the Missouri Bar and Illinois Bar Association and is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri. Ms. Vaporean is a member of the Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers and the Women Lawyers' Association of Greater St. Louis,

Please refer to Continuing Education Credit FAQ for general information about seeking credit for your participation in one of our continuing education programs.

Additionally, our team of credit specialists are here to answer your specific credit-related questions weekdays 7am - 5pm Central:

Phone: 866-240-1890

Email: credit@nbi-sems.com