Sandra Higelin offers legal nurse consulting and expert witness services. As a Masters Prepared Geriatric Clinical Nurse Specialist, A Certified Wound Care Nurse and a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, she provides expert consultation and expert witness services in Elder Abuse litigation especially when pressure ulcers and falls are a major complaint. She is also experienced with the Federal Regulations and Jcacho standards. She has been actively involved in the survey process in Acute Care, and Longterm Care settings. As a Registerd Nurse, she has worked as a Wound Care Consultant, an Educator, an MDS Coordinator (SNF), and a staff nurse.
Background
Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:A: Clinical Specialist in Gerontolgical Nursing: Masters Prepared certified by ANCC
Certified Wound Care Nurse: Wound, Ostomy, Continence Nursing Association
Certified Legal Nurse Consultant: NACLNC
Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:
A: American Nursing Association
Wound, Ostomy, Continence Nursing Association
National Alliance of Legal Nurse Consultants
American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants
Sigma Theta Tau
Medical University of S. C. Alumni Association
Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:
A: Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Management
FTag 314 What Health Care Providers Need to Know
(Pressure Ulcers prevention and management
in SNFs)
Failure to Thrive in The Older Person
Knowledge is Power (education of nurses:
Pressure Ulcers)
Q: Have any of your accreditations ever been investigated, suspended or removed? (if yes, explain)
A: No
Q: On how many occasions have you been retained as an expert?
A: more then 20
Q: For what area(s) of expertise have you been retained as an expert?
A: elder abuse/neglect
Pressure Ulcers
Falls
Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the plaintiff?
A: 1%
Will consult in Plaintiff Cases
Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the defendant?
A: 99%
Q: On how many occasions have you had your deposition taken?
A: 3
All my cases have settled out of court prior to deposition or after deposition pre-trial
Q: When was the last time you had your deposition taken?
A: Feb, 2007
Q: On how many occasions have you testified as an expert in court or before an arbitrator?
A: 0 I have been involved in over 50 cases and all have settled out of court before or after my deposition
Q: For how many years have you worked with the legal industry as an expert?
A: 4+
Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.)
A: Consulting, reports, expert witness
I am retained as the consulting and the expert witness by the attorneys that use my services.
References upon request.
Q: What is your hourly rate to consult with an attorney?
A: $200 hrly
Q: What is your hourly rate to review documents?
A: $200 hrly
All services necessary as the consultant is at the same $200 hrly rate
Q: What is your hourly rate to provide deposition testimony?
A: $400 hrly from portal to portal
Q: What is your hourly rate to provide testimony at trial?
A: $400 hrly portal to portal
Q: Please list any fees other than those stated above (E.g.: travel expenses, copy fees, etc.)
A: Travel expenses are paid by the attorney.
Copy fees are the cost of the copies
Any consultation, reports, other demonstative evidence for deposition or trial are at the $400hrly rate.
