Trauma Informed Lawyering, Part 3, with Lawyer Sonia Nijjar

Send us a textThis month on Inside Medical Malpractice, join us for Part 2 of the powerful story behind the HBO documentary BLEED OUT, featuring director Steve Burrows and producer Margo Burrows. In our first episode, we explored the shocking outcome of Steve’s mom’s hip replacement surgery, which tragically left her in a coma. After a nearly decade-long fight for her life, Judy passed away on January 30, 2020.  But her legacy lives on. Judie’s story has sparked a movement for change, honoring her life and driving a nationwide commitment to prevent medical errors. Her story goes far beyond the screen, inspiring real reform in patient safety. If you haven’t seen BLEED OUT you can watch it on HBO or here. You won’t want to miss it.

Send us a textThis month on Inside Medical Malpractice, Part 1 of the unforgettable story behind the HBO documentary BLEED OUT, featuring director Steve Burrows and producer Margo Burrows. What started as a simple fall from a bike and a routine hip replacement for Steve’s mother Judie quickly turned into a nightmare, leaving her in a coma with permanent brain damage. But BLEED OUT goes far beyond one family’s tragedy—Steve and Margo take us on a shocking journey into the hidden risks within our healthcare system, exposing urgent calls for reform and accountability. If you haven’t seen BLEED OUT you can watch it on HBO or Connect Experts website (Click here). You won’t want to miss this.

Send us a textInside Medical Malpractice is back with Part 2 of ‘Two Perspectives, Endless Impact’ featuring RaDonda Vaught and Leilani Schweitzer.  In the first episode, we explored the patient safety landscape, the journey towards safer healthcare, the significant challenges we face, and how patients and families can become effective advocates for their own care. We also examined the need for cultural shifts and the role of technology in healthcare. In this amazing episode, Leilani and RaDonda focus on the need for gradual and deliberate change in healthcare by confronting the systemic issues that arise from top-down approaches, share inspiring stories of triumph and hope, and highlight the crucial yet often overlooked conversations that need to be initiated by healthcare institutions when things (inevitably)  go wrong. You'll also get a look into what's on the horizon for these two amazing women. This episode is a testament to optimism hope and the tenacity it takes to make things better. Don’t miss it!

Send us a textIn the first episode of Season 5 of Inside Medical Malpractice Chris Rokosh brings together two remarkable repeat guests: RaDonda Vaught, a former Tennessee Registered Nurse whose medication error led to a patient's death, and Leilani Schweitzer, a mother who endured the devastating loss of her child due to a nurse's error. These unimaginable events could have not only shattered their lives but turned them into adversaries. Yet here they are, not as enemies, not destroyed, but united in a shared vision to improve patient safety. In this compelling conversation, RaDonda and Leilani demonstrate how profound personal loss can be transformed into a vision for positive change. Their collaboration represents a powerful testament to resilience and hope. Don't miss this inspiring episode that promises to reshape your perspective on patient safety. 

Send us a textThis month on ‘Inside Medical Malpractice’, the third in our ‘best of the best’ podcast series!  Chris Rokosh ends almost every episode with the question “What is the most important thing you’d like doctors, nurses, lawyers, and the public to know about medical malpractice?” The answers are as different as our guests’ unique perspectives….but always astute, insightful, and thought provoking. This episode includes a doctor, a mother who lost her son due to a medical error and 4 lawyers, one of whom shares her birth story. Listen in as guests Duncan Embury, Lelani Schweitzer, Richard Halpern, Paul Cahill, Maia Tomljanovic and Dr. Danielle Ofri share their thoughts. You’re going to really enjoy this one!  For more medical legal education, visit our newly updated website at https://www.connectmlx.com/. 

Send us a textThis month, on Inside Medical Malpractice, part three of a 4-part series on Trauma Informed Lawyering. Listen in as lawyer Sonia Nijjar, associate lawyer and director of business development and knowledge management at Neinstein Personal Injury Law Firm in Toronto tells us how dealing with medical malpractice clients at a very difficult time in their lives affect her.  Knowing how very wrong things can go in healthcare led to a hypervigilance during her own pregnancy and opened her eyes to significant challenges her clients experience when interacting with the healthcare system.  There’s insight on how healthcare access is affected by diversity, equality and inclusion highlighting the need for cultural competence in the presence of power and privilege.  Sonia shares how learning about trauma informed lawyering broadened her perspective and changed her practice, now giving credence to the experiences and trauma experienced by her clients.  Sonia also shares some of the greatest insights of the trauma informed workshop, one of them being that every lawyer, at times, has felt ill equipped to deal with trauma.  Additional insights? Learning to meet clients ‘where they’re at’ and offering a safe place to tell their story.  My favorite quote; “We’ve got to name what we’re looking at.  We’re looking at trauma.” This is another great episode in a fabulous series.  Listen to it, talk about it, and share it!

Send us a textIn this short, but highly personal episode, lawyer Sonia Nijjar tells us how she spends her time when she’s not working,  the challenge of Toronto winters, her life as a curious, independent child, her favorite foods, her all time favorite show, her greatest joy (her son!) and so much more. Learn what this intelligent, articulate lawyer would love to do if she weren’t lawyering.  Her strategy for happiness?  The balance of “not letting any part of me become all of me.” This is a great episode.  Don’t miss it!

Send us a textThis informative presentation features Dr. Sharon Dore, principal author, and Clinical Associate Professor at McMaster University. The goal of Guideline No. 441 is the early identification of potential fetal decompensation, allowing for interventions that support fetal well-being, or expedite delivery. Changes around assessment of fundal height, fetal movement, amniotic fluid measurement and fetal health surveillance affect the nursing and medical standards of care, as well as the analysis of medical legal matters. 

Send us a textThis month, on Inside Medical Malpractice, part two a 4-part series on Trauma Informed Lawyering. Listen in as Kara Hardin former lawyer, psychotherapist, mental health educator and co-owner of The Practice Lab talks about how our childhood search for safety, security, connection and belonging continue to shape our actions as adults.  Learn to notice how and when trauma response shows up and deciding how to move forward with compassion. There’s a fascinating discussion on how the ways we learn to survive as children, are the very things that can hold us back in adulthood.  Discover skills to help others feel believed, supported, and trusted, and safe to speak in difficult situations that involve the telling of their trauma stories. One of my favorite quotes?  “To be human and alive is to be exposed to grief and loss.”  You will love her insightful answers to the most important things we should all know about trauma in healthcare.  This is a great episode, and a key part of the Trauma Informed Lawyering series!

Send us a textThis month, on Inside Medical Malpractice, the first of a 4 part series on Trauma Informed Lawyering.  Whether you’re a lawyer, a healthcare provider, a family who has experienced medical trauma, or someone who knows some who has, I promise there is something valuable here. This series will focus on the personal and vicarious trauma experienced during pregnancy and birth. Listen in as Olivia Scobie, Co-Founder of the Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Training and Registered Social Worker starts with key phrases and terms, and learning how to recognize trauma in others and ourselves.  Olivia will teach us about theories of trauma, how our brains remember and respond to traumatic experiences, the multiple sites of birth trauma, self regulation, co-regulation, and the window of tolerance.  Lawyers, learn how to better support your clients by understanding why they act the way they do in difficult situations, and how their own trauma can become yours. Olivia offers insight into how the impact of birth trauma can keep clients with potentially viable lawsuits from seeking legal counsel. She also has great advice on the most important things we should all know about trauma in healthcare.  Don’t miss this episode and the entire series!