Introduction to First & Second Edition

• Author: Michael J. Morse
• Pages: 5-5

INTRODUCTION

TO FIRST & SECOND EDITION

The neck and back injury case, though one of the most common in personal injury law, is also

often the most difficult to prepare, investigate, negotiate and eventually try. Many attorneys

lack sufficient understanding of the medical and legal complexities inherent in these cases

to maximize the best result for their clients and, accordingly, cases either settle for much less

than their true value or cases are lost that should have been won.

Several years ago when the First Edition of Litigating Neck & Back Injuries was published, there

was little in the way of practical legal or medical literature available to attorneys to aid them in

the preparation, investigation, negotiation and trial of a neck and back injury case. There were

a number of texts that discussed and analyzed soft tissue injury cases, but the texts often did

not offer practical guidelines, hands-on experience and everyday trial tips that most attorneys

want and need to prepare these common, but often uncommonly difficult, cases.

It was the purpose of Litigating Neck & Back Injuries to fill that void and I believe that the First

Edition did so.

In the Second Edition, comments, suggestions and constructive criticisms from readers and

practice-oriented users of this book (both from a medical and legal community) assisted in a

total redesign of the book to make it more readable, better organized, more practice oriented

and comprehensive. Every element of a neck and back injury case is now covered from the

medical and legal viewpoint. The book is also designed to be understandable, useful, useable

and practical. I hope that this book will enjoy the same kind of success that the First Edition

of Litigating Neck and Back Injuries has: It will be one of your standard practice companions,

always at your fingertips and constantly referred to and repeatedly used. Just as the First

Edition was not a reference text, neither is this edition. I have added more discussion on

reference material including various case law citations throughout the text, but this text is

principally a trial practice guide.

The suggestions made in the book are ones that have worked, and are continuing to work for

me in the real word. I hope and believe that the practical and practice-oriented information

contained in the Second Edition of Litigating Neck and Back Injuries will help you to be more

successful, economical and rewarded in your practice. I believe that by using Litigating Neck

and Back Injuries in your dealings with clients, insurance adjusters, defense counsel and the

court, you will find yourself representing clients in neck and back injury cases in a more

organized and efficient manner.

John A. Tarantino

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Chris Brown has over twenty-five years experience as a medical and biological illustrator. He

received his primary education at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and studied gross

anatomy at Cook County School of Medicine. The past fifteen years have been devoted almost exclu-

sively to forensic art with occasional forays into print. Chris has worked closely with physicians and

attorneys in preparation of all facets of medical illustration, either in 2 or 3 dimensions. Chris Brown

can be reached at loftstudio@netzero.net.

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