Mini Med School for Attorneys

Agenda / Content Covered

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1. Basic Anatomy, Physiology and Common Injuries
   9:00 - 9:30, Susie McGregor-Huyer
   1. Cheat Sheet of Key Medical Terminology, Acronyms and Jargon
   2. Head and Spine
   3. Chest
   4. Hand to Shoulder
   5. Hip to Toe
   6. Overview of Most Common Injuries and Surgeries
2. Traumatic Brain Injuries Made Simple
   9:30 - 10:30, Susie McGregor-Huyer
   1. Anatomy and Functioning of the Brain
   2. Brain Injuries: How They Occur and Affect Function
   3. Post-Concussion Syndrome
   4. Examination, Tests and Diagnosis
   5. Severity: Mild vs. Moderate vs. Severe
   6. What to Look for in Medical Records
   7. Objective vs. Subjective Findings
   8. Prior Head Injuries
   9. Treatment and Prognosis
3. Spinal/Neck and Back Injuries Explained
   10:45 - 11:45, Dr. David Cooper
   1. Mechanics of Spinal Injuries
   2. Soft Tissue Injuries
   3. How Spinal Injuries Affect Function
   4. Diagnosis
   5. Objective vs. Subjective Findings
   6. Treatment
   7. Prognosis
4. Causation: New Injury, Exacerbation, Degeneration and Recurrence
   12:45 - 1:30, Dr. David Cooper and Robert J. Kasieta
   1. Causation From a Doctor's Perspective
   2. How Doctors Evaluate Aggravation/Exacerbation
   3. Apportioning Pre-existing Conditions with a New Trauma
   4. Differentiating Injuries vs. Degeneration vs. Recurrence
   5. Allocation of Injuries Between Multiple Accidents
   6. Causation/Age of Injury Reports
5. Demystifying Pain: What Attorneys Need to Know
   1:30 - 2:15, Susie McGregor-Huyer
   1. Physical vs. Mental Pain
   2. Acute vs. Chronic Pain
   3. Pain Assessment Tools
   4. Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS/RSD)
   5. How Pain Can Exacerbate or Trigger Other Conditions
   6. Pain Management and Treatment
   7. Opioid/Drug Abuse
   8. Malingering and Symptom Exaggeration
6. Insights on CTs, MRIs, X-Rays, Emg's, and More
   2:15 - 2:45, Dr. David Cooper
   1. Understanding Medical Imaging and its Limitations: CTs, MRIs, X-Rays, etc.
   2. Clinical Correlation of Diagnostic Studies and Patient Symptoms
   3. What is Real and What is Not
7. Doctor Depositions and Cross-Examination
   3:00 - 3:30, Robert J. Kasieta
   1. Tips for Selecting and Working with Doctors
   2. Independent Medical Examinations (IMEs) and Reports
   3. Preparing for Doctor Depositions
   4. Key Questions and Sample Transcripts
   5. Objections
   6. Daubert Challenges to Medical Experts
   7. Cross-Examination and Impeachment
8. Legal Ethics
   3:30 - 4:30, Robert J. Kasieta
   1. When Your Client Lies or the Medicine is Not on Your Side
   2. Ethical Issues in TBI Cases
   3. Representing Minors and Incompetent Persons
   4. Confidentiality of Client Information
   5. Ethics Considerations: Working with Medical Experts
      1. Obligations to Third Parties

Accreditation Details:

DR. DAVID COOPER owns and operates The Knee Center in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia and the Jefferson Orthopedic residency. Dr. Cooper entered private practice as a general orthopedic surgeon in Lansdale, Pennsylvania after serving our country for eight years as a U.S. Navy Reserve medical officer. For four years, Dr. Cooper performed all types of orthopedic surgery, including neck and low back laminectomies and fusions, along with extensive open and closed fracture care. In 1980, he was recruited by Geisinger to open the orthopedic department at the Geisinger Wyoming Valley Hospital in Wilkes-Barre, where he was one of the first orthopedic surgeons in the valley to introduce knee replacements and arthroscopic surgery. In 1981, Dr. Cooper opened The Knee Center in Wilkes-Barre to further specialize in the care and treatment of knee and lower extremity disorders. He has personally performed more than 6,000 arthroscopic surgeries, ligament repairs and knee replacements. In terms of actually performing surgeries, as opposed to having interns and residents handle the cases, Dr. Cooper is one of the most experienced knee surgeons in the world, as well as being board certified for life by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery, the highest honor that any medical specialist practicing in the U.S. can obtain. As a sought after speaker by many national organizations, he has spoken at the national conferences of the American Bar Association, and the Risk Insurance Management Society national meetings in New Orleans and Atlanta. Dr. Cooper is an adjunct professor at Binghamton University and Kings University. He is also a frequent guest lecturer at Binghamton University, Kings University and the University of Scranton. Dr. Cooper has been a private pilot for over 30 years, and enjoys flying his turbine Bonanza to conferences and lectures.

ROBERT J. KASIETA is the founder of Kasieta Legal Group, LLC, in Madison, Wisconsin. He is a certified civil pretrial and trial specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocates. Mr. Kasieta practices in civil litigation, with an emphasis on plaintiff personal injury and employment cases, as well as commercial litigation. He has written and taught extensively in the areas of trial practice, personal injury law and insurance law, and is an instructor of trial practice at the University of Wisconsin Law School. Mr. Kasieta is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, and all Wisconsin courts. He is a member of the Dane County Bar Association, State Bar of Wisconsin, and the American Association for Justice. Mr. Kasieta earned his B.S. degree, summa cum laude, from Northern Michigan University and his J.D. degree from Marquette University Law School.

SUSIE MCGREGOR-HUYER, R.N., M.S.N., is the founder and principal of Medical Damages, based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Medical Damages is a life care planning and nurse consulting business designed to assist attorneys and insurance companies in looking both forward and backward in medically-related cases in the areas of personal injury, workers' compensation, and medical malpractice. Ms. McGregor-Huyer has both her bachelor's and master's degrees in nursing. Post graduate educational experience includes legal nurse consulting, forensic nursing, Medicare set asides, nurse life care planning, geriatrics, and case management. Ms. McGregor-Huyer also has experience as a paramedic, emergency, and critical care nursing, and is currently clinically active in hospice and assisted living/memory care. Affiliations include the American Association of Nurse Life Care Planners, International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals, Juris Education, Research and Knowledge, and PATH International. She is a frequent lecturer to paralegals and attorneys in the areas of nursing, medical records analysis, and ethics.