The CLNC® mentors held the key to my first case and to my CLNC® success

Legal Nurse Consulting Ezine, Nov 11, 2009 by Mimi Tambellini

Thank you, Vickie, for your CLNC[R] Mentoring Program. When I decided to become a Certified Legal Nurse ConsultantCM through Vickie Milazzo Institute, I pondered the value of the Institute's VIP CLNC[R] Business System. One thing convinced me to enroll as a VIP--the free unlimited CLNC[R] Mentoring. I can now say that this one investment has returned huge dividends.

I just learned that my very first case as a Certified Legal Nurse ConsultantCM settled. The Institute's mentoring made all the difference. Without the input of the CLNC[R] Mentor I wouldn't have found the right avenue to positively impact the outcome of my attorney-client's case. The case involved a 79-year-young woman who was recovering from knee replacement surgery and was using a cane. After shopping one day, she was walking toward her caregiver's car when another car backed into her. The force of the impact threw her into the air. She landed on the asphalt and lost consciousness for a few moments.

When my attorney-client asked me to review the case, I developed a summary and a chronology. The limited medical records offered nothing that pointed to a specific injury. They showed that an ambulance transported the client to the local emergency room for evaluation. After a brief examination, she was released with no apparent injury other than superficial scrapes and bruises.

However, the client was in daily pain from the accident, and she was on a fixed income that barely provided for her needs. How could we help her? As questions raced through my mind about the best way to present the case to my attorney-client, I began to worry. Had I focused on the right issues? What was I missing? How could I, in good conscience, bill my attorney-client for my services when I hadn't provided any new information to support the desired settlement?

Then I remembered the FREE CLNC[R] Mentoring I was entitled to as a Certified Legal Nurse ConsultantCM. Within one hour of my contact, a CLNC[R] Mentor confirmed my suspicions that the client had probably suffered from soft tissue damage and that this type of case is difficult to prove. Further discussion gave me the insight I needed for my attorney-client. During the CLNC[R] Certification Program, Vickie stressed that we already have the experience to be successful CLNC[R] consultants. I recognized that my level I trauma ICU experience was invaluable for this case. Many times in the ICU we used specialists in the field of "rehabilitation" to help our patients after horrific accidents. Why not use such a specialist in this case? I confidently gave my attorney-client my report and recommended that the client see a physiatrist, to which she reluctantly agreed.

By validating that the client's pain was real, the physiatrist's report helped my attorney-client win a settlement. Considering my initial feeling that I had nothing to contribute to the case, this settlement was incredible. After speaking with the CLNC[R] Mentor, I was able to help my attorney-client make a convincing argument for settlement, keep his costs down and make a big difference in the life of an elderly woman.

My success with this case led to other cases with the same law firm. I believe anyone who is serious about becoming a successful Certified Legal Nurse ConsultantCM must enroll as a VIP!

Mimi Tambellini, RN, CLNC is CEO of Tambellini and Associates in Pennsylvania. She has more than 15 years of experience in acute care, level I trauma ICU and skilled long term care. Her firm offers a combined 100 years of nursing excellence.

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by Mimi Tambellini, RN, CLNC