What to Expect Working as a Plaintiff Medical Malpractice Paralegal
The world is filled with different career paths, and working as a paralegal is becoming one of the most popular choices for people due to its high pay and flexibility. There are hundreds of different types of paralegals, and if you’re interested in becoming one, it’s important that you know which legal environment would suit you best.
We’re going to discuss what to expect working as a plaintiff medical malpractice paralegal to give you an idea of what this line of work mainly consists of. It could be researching the effects of hormone replacement therapy all the way to investigating botched surgeries.
Read on to find out more!
Managing Medical Records
Managing medical records will be one of your top priorities as a plaintiff medical malpractice attorney. Medical records are crucial to medical malpractice cases, so it’s crucial that you manage them effectively. You’ll be expected to request medical records from health providers, organize records once they come in, and oftentimes create a medical record chronology so the records are easier to understand and navigate.
Communicating with Clients
It should come as no surprise that a plaintiff medical malpractice paralegal will be in frequent contact with the clients. Medical malpractice cases are often complex, and it requires regular communication with the plaintiff involved. While the medical records will include a lot of vital information about the case, there are often important pieces of information that aren’t included in the client’s chart.
Medical Research
You should be prepared to do extensive medical research working as a plaintiff medical malpractice paralegal. Although you’ll consult with medical experts on the case to provide the essential and factual details about your plaintiff’s claim, this doesn’t mean you won’t be conducting your own independent research regarding the alleged medical malpractice. This is particularly true towards the start of the case, as many attorneys don’t want to hire a medical expert without having some basic understanding of the alleged malpractice.
Speaking with Experts
Plaintiff medical malpractice paralegals don’t just communicate with clients, but they’ll also make it a priority to be in regular contact with experts on the case. This often means setting up meetings, seeking their opinion, and sending them vital records and documents on the case. Oftentimes, medical malpractice paralegals also assist the attorney in tracking down medical experts for their cases.
Help Draft Legal Pleadings
It’s not all medical talk when it comes to working as a plaintiff medical malpractice paralegal. There’s a lot of legal work that’s involved, and these specialized paralegals are incredibly beneficial when it comes to helping attorneys draft legal pleadings for the lawsuit. This involves legal research, formatting the pleadings per the court’s requirements, and electronically filing the documents once they’re submitted.
Final Thoughts
People who have an interest in both the medical and legal fields would be perfectly suited to work as a plaintiff medical malpractice paralegal. While there’s a lot of hard work and dedication that goes into this line of work, it more than pays off when you help families to get answers and compensation for the wrongdoing of medical health professionals.
