Patricia "Patt" Hecker, RN, BS, LNCC
Owner / Legal Nurse Consultant
Is a registered nurse with more than 22 years experience as a clinical nurse in the areas of intensive care, coronary care, surgery, home health and administration. She is certified as a Legal Nurse Consultant and has been working nationally for over 15 years in this arena.My Story
My parents, both first generation Americans, raised my 9 siblings and I on a dairy farm in upstate New York. One thing you learn on a dairy farm is a work ethic. The most important thing you learn from immigrant grandparents is to always be thankful for the opportunity to work.After completing my nursing degree and reading the book "Hearts" by Thomas Thompson, a Houston author, I headed to Houston and worked with both Dr. Michael DeBakey and Dr. Denton Cooley. I worked in surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, ICU's, IV therapy, psych and home health administration for more than 20 years in the Houston area. During this time in Houston I took the opportunity to complete two more degrees from the University of Houston in Education and Psychology.
In 1998, after assisting some attorney friends and two attorney siblings with their medical legal case issues, I decided to use my broad medical/nursing experience and started full time consulting for firms in Houston. I began with a mass tort (Fen-phen one) and have been going strong ever since. I worked with counsel in Philadelphia for 1 1/2 years after Fen-phen settled, working on organization, settlement grids, and resolution of case issues. In 2000, I lectured nationally to law firms, helping them understand the settlement forms and how to best organize their cases for payment.
Working with some of the best trial attorneys in Houston. I quickly came to realize they needed "The Bottom Line" and they needed it accurately and as quickly as possible. My focus became getting firms with large inventories "The Bottom Line" and in 2000 I founded Bottom Line Consultation, Inc., specializing in mass torts - taking them from intake to settlement or trial. I begin a mass tort with the end in mind and organize it accordingly. I have worked more than 20 mass torts and have an electronic system to assure rapid and accurate information review, as well as analysis and ranking for viable trial cases and settlement. I remain current with the scientific literature for each mass tort and assist attorneys with expert retention.
I feel that my life has evolved both personally and educationally, to prepare me to do this job. My education in nursing and a national certification in legal nurse consulting allow me to be "a bridge between medicine and law". I can speak both languages. My education degree has come in handy for educating attorneys and assisting them to educate juries on medical issues. My psychology studies have helped me to understand and be more effective dealing with people. I work hard, I become invested, I hop in and become part of the team and thereby share the satisfaction of what becomes our good outcome.
