Deborah M. Cotopolis

Deborah Cotopolis is a certified legal nurse consultant. She assists attorneys with the medical aspects of cases, providing an in-depth analysis in a number of areas, including evaluation of medical records, pre-existing conditions, potential missing records and case strategies based on medical concepts. Ms. Cotopolis provides medical records summaries, medical chronologies and event timelines highlighting relevant case issues, and conducts medical and forensic literature research.

Ms. Cotopolis joined Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP in March 2010. Previously she was a legal nurse consultant at Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney.

Ms. Cotopolis began her career as a clinical nurse. She has experience in intensive care, oncology and medical/surgical units. Ms. Cotopolis was the foundation director for Rocky Mountain Poison Center, as well as a staff nurse, providing acute triage over the phone for poisonings, drug overdoses and injuries.

From 1998 to 2009, Ms. Cotopolis owned and ran her own consulting business, Strategic Medical Legal Resources. In addition, from 2005 to 2008 she was a medical bill review specialty services consultant for CSI-Zurich NA Insurance.

She was certified as a legal nurse consultant in 1998 by the National Association of Legal Nurse Consultants, and has been licensed as a Registered Nurse in the State of Illinois since 1992. She has participated in a nurse update course at Northwest Community Hospital for Harper College.

Ms. Cotopolis is a member of the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC), and past board member of its Greater Chicago Area Chapter. She is a past member of the National Alliance of Legal Nurse Consultants.

Ms. Cotopolis’ presentations include:

• “First Doctor’s Deposition,” Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE), Chicago, Illinois, December 2008 and December 2007. 
• “Understanding Medical Records,” IIICLE, Chicago, Illinois, April 2007. 
• “Understanding IME,” and “Understanding Pain and Suffering, LNC Resource, Chicago, Illinois, May 2006.

Ms. Cotopolis wrote regularly for her former business’s newsletters Strategic Medical Legal Resources Newsletter and Navigator, which were published quarterly. Her other publications include:

• “Environmental Mold: Black Mold,” chapter in LNC Resource, August 2004. 
• “Toxicology of the Acutely Poisoned Patient,” chapter in Critical Care Nursing, Lippincott Publishing Co., 1984 and 1981 editions. 
• “Understanding Pain and Suffering,” chapter in LNC Resource, Volume 2, Number 1.