Steve Wood, Ph.D. talks about preparing witnesses for trial testimony. Steve mentions several key tips including teaching witnesses to take their time when responding both during direct examination and cross-examination. It is important for witnesses to be consistent with how much time they are taking to answer both direct and cross questions so jurors don't perceive any discrepancy. Taking time in answering also helps jurors who are hearing the information for the first time and need time to process the questions and responses. Steve also highlights the need for witnesses to have short, conci ..read more

Dr. Jordan Romano joins Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. to discuss expert witness testimony in medical malpractice cases. Dr. Romano has served as an expert witness on numerous medical malpractice cases and talks about how he got started as an expert witness, how he got up to speed on the litigation process, and what he does as a hospitalist. Bill asks Dr. Romano about the differences between working as an expert for the plaintiff's side and the defense side and what advice he would give attorneys on what they can do better when working with experts. Dr. Romano also addresses the questions that he ge ..read more

Steve Wood, Ph.D. & Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. join host Ava Hernandez to talk about what they have been seeing in the cases they have been working on recently. Steve shares that he's been seeing more jurors who are expecting fact witnesses to remember all details from the incident and talks about how to address this issue. The group discuss the pros and cons of the legal strategy of withholding documents from witnesses or not showing witnesses videos or other documents prior to their deposition, in particular corporate reps. Bill shares an insight he recently heard from a successful plainti ..read more

Medical malpractice defense attorney Michael Denning of Heyl Royster joins Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. to talk about the timeline of litigation in medical malpractice. First, Michael and Bill touch on the mental stress of being named in a lawsuit and the importance of making sure the physician or named defendant is doing okay and checking in on their mental health. They discuss the process of building trust with the defendant and issues that arise around finger pointing and defendants who are worried about their reputation if word gets out that they are being sued. Michael and Bill talk about pre ..read more

Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. joins host Ava Hernandez to discuss his background and how he got into the litigation consulting industry. Ava and Bill talk about how their backgrounds in clinical psychology allow them to assess and prepare witnesses in a way that attorneys are not trained to. They also discuss the ethical challenges with the tension that can occur in working with witnesses, the emotional and mental issues that a witness may be dealing with and addressing their psychological wellness prior to witness prep. Lastly, Ava and Bill offer their insights on what they see in the future aroun ..read more

Chuck Ingram, Partner with Estes, Ingram, Foels & Gibbs, P.A., joins Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. to talk about the discovery stage of medical malpractice litigation. Chuck discusses the importance being proactive during the discovery phase in med mal cases and how he approaches discovery differently based on which plaintiff firm has filed the suit. Bill and Chuck also talk about developing younger attorneys, managing co-defendants, strategies for admitting liability, the value of jury research, over-reliance on expert witnesses, and dealing with emotional nurse witnesses. Watch the video of t ..read more

Shane O'Dell, Member, Naman, Howell, Smith, and Lee & Mike Bassett, Trial Attorney, The Bassett Firm, join Steve Wood, Ph.D. to talk about some of the misperceptions of the defense bar. The group discuss what the Reptile Theory is really all about and that the purpose of the Reptile Theory is less about scaring the jury and more about empowering them.  Mike, Shane, and Steve discuss the evolution of Reptile to The Edge and what is different about The Edge from Reptile Theory, as well as what they are seeing as best practices from strong plaintiff attorneys. The group also talk about t ..read more

Leah Miller, Fractional CFO, LNM Financial Services LLC joins Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. to talk about law firm finances. Leah and Bill define key financial terms such as revenue, expenses, profitability, and talk about the complexities that crop up as a firm grows. Leah shares the guidance she gives her clients on how often they should be looking at their numbers and describes what a Fractional CFO does and how it differs from a CPA or bookkeeper. Leah and Bill also discuss setting goals, managing cash flow, and what lawyers and law firms need to watch out for in their spending. Watch the video ..read more

In part 4 of our medical malpractice litigation series, Ava Hernandez joins Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. to discuss preparing mid to higher-trained nurses for deposition testimony. BSNs, MSNs, Nurse Practioners, Nurse Managers, Charge Nurses, and similar nurses have significant responsibilities and often come into their deposition with a different perspective than an LPN or less-experienced nurse might and therefore must be prepared and handled differently during deposition prep. Ava and Bill discuss how sometimes these nurses have to contend with blame that may come from the plaintiff and/or the ..read more

Jeff Willis, MD, Owner/Physician Consultant of On-Call MedLegal Consulting joins Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. to talk about consulting for medical malpractice attorneys. Dr. Willis specializes in pre-litigation and pre-trial services, working as a member of the legal team from intake through resolution. Dr. Willis provides case merit analysis, precision medical expert matching, case strategy development, and deposition preparation. Jeff and Bill discuss expert witnesses, the differences between a D.O and M.D., legal nurse consultants, and the differences between plaintiff attorneys and defense att ..read more