A plaintiff fact sheet (PFS) is a crucial document in medico-legal cases and provides an overview of the case to both the parties involved in the case. It is a set of questionnaires released by a federal court, particularly in mass tort cases. The document is prepared when the case has been centralized for coordinated discovery in the pre-trial stage. Court-set deadlines must be followed with regard to completing the questionnaire accurately and submitting it by the plaintiff. Attorneys can have a thorough analysis of the validity of the case by weighing the strengths and weaknesses of the case without going deeper into the vastness of medical records. A medical record review company can aid attorneys in efficiently managing the case by filtering unsupported claims in a cost-effective manner.
Major Considerations While Drafting the Plaintiff Fact Sheet
Patient information from medical records
The relevant facts of the case are extracted from the medical records. Basic patient information like name, date, and place of birth, treatment history will be included in the questionnaire. Inaccuracy in entering these details can hamper the trial of the case. Bates stamping of the medical records prior to reviewing the records has to be done in accordance with the designated protocol. This helps in identifying the relevant documents that can help in preparing the plaintiff for answering the questionnaire.
Cross-verification to identify missed information
Medical records have to be comprehensively analyzed to know the timeline of the treatment history and every medical encounter of the patient. This helps avoid leaving out relevant facts that can substantiate evidence produced in the court. It is imperative to gather such vital information from the claimant and enter them into the plaintiff fact sheet.
Linking PFS to the medical record of the plaintiff
Medical records are relied upon to enter relevant information in the PFS. Therefore, it is important to link PFS with the medical records. If the plaintiff has multiple medical records, these have to be collected in a concerted manner. Attorneys can display necessary documents before the court including the medical – pharmaceutical details that are linked to the PFS. In addition, while litigating, attorneys can highlight particular events in the treatment history of the plaintiff.
Interviewing the plaintiff
Attorneys should have effective communication with the clients to gain critical information related to injury, product identification, healthcare providers, and the contact details. This early intervention can help attorneys identify the validity of the case.
Why should you outsource PFS preparation?
Outsourcing the preparation of PFS allows you to concentrate on your practice and successfully litigate to ensure your clients’ claims are upheld. As read above, plaintiff fact preparation requires thorough and organized information. The gathering of relevant facts is the primary step in the drafting of a PFS. It will be a daunting task for attorneys to finish the preparation of extensive PFS amid looming deadlines from the court. Outsourcing the same to a reliable provider of medical review solutions can ensure the completion of the fact sheets in a time-bound manner. Read our blog to know the advantages of outsourcing PFS preparation.
It saves you money
By outsourcing PFS preparation, attorneys do not need to spend large sums of money gathering and verifying documents.
Gather relevant documents right from the onset of the case
Medical records that contain pertinent information about the case have to be consolidated from the onset of the case. The process of completion of the fact sheet will be started once the documentation of the qualifying injury of the client and the product in question is completed.
Meet court-imposed deadlines
Medical record review companies promptly get in touch with the plaintiff to know crucial details about the case. The speedy manner in which documentation of important information from medical records makes sure that the PFS preparation completes in a time-bound manner.
Helps simplify medical jargon
Medical records contain medical terms and abbreviations that are difficult to comprehend. By outsourcing, attorneys don’t have the pain of referring and understanding each and every medical term mentioned in the medical record.
Assurance of quality
With highly skilled staff, the intake screening and the fact sheet of each plaintiff are cross-verified and analyzed to identify and remedy incomplete PFS. Each file is meticulously reviewed to ensure that complete and accurate information is documented so that it supports a successful legal process.
Seamless execution by streamlining massive workflows
Outsourcing companies have the back-office staffing strong enough to manage massive workflows. Each plaintiff fact sheet is verified for accuracy from start to finish. The potential claimants are communicated with at every stage of preparation.
Partner with a reliable provider of medical record review services for timely completion of PFS in a cost-effective manner.
