Past DRI Events

Sponsored by Exponent

Often referred to as the “Silent Killer,” carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas that can cause incapacitation and death in only a few minutes. It is produced by the incomplete burning of carbon-based fuels, such as natural gas, propane, or gasoline, and can be generated by many common sources, including motor vehicles, engine-driven tools, and home heating systems.

This webinar will cover typical issues that arise in litigation involving CO poisoning and the different analytical, experimental, and numerical tools available to address these issues. Through case studies, the presenters will examine the following: the most common causes of CO fatalities; necessary conditions to cause the formation of CO as well as dispersion and accumulation of CO; and the codes, standards, and regulations that govern CO detection and products and equipment that can generate CO.

Presenters
Michael Barry, Ph.D., P.E., CFEI | Managing Engineer | Exponent
Francesco Colella, Ph.D., P.E., CFEI | Senior Managing Engineer | Exponent
Lindsey Gilman, Ph.D., P.E., CFEI | Managing Engineer | Exponent
Timothy Morse, Ph.D., P.E., CFEI | Principal engineer | Exponent

This webinar is free for DRI members and non-members.

Medical providers often have to make judgment decisions during delivery on how long the mother's labor should last. New recommendations within the past 10 years have significantly altered this calculus. This program will address these new medical guidelines for protracted labor and discuss the legal implications the guidelines have on defending medical providers about the labor curve, including tips for deposing witnesses, how to gather and use expert testimony in this area and more.

The registration is $75 for DRI members and $150 for non-members.

The Rules of Professional Conduct regarding competence and diligence require all lawyers to keep abreast of changes in technology. This webinar will provide you with tips and information on new issues related to technology and the practice of law, including the challenges of the remote work environment. You will learn the ethics and professionalism considerations when using technology in your practice and your ethical duties when it comes to “keeping abreast of changes” in technology.

The registration is $75 for DRI members and $150 for non-members.

In an emergency accident response scenario, considerations and questions regarding ethical issues present as rapidly as you can respond to the accident. These issues often involve conflicts of interest between dual representation of the driver and trucking company, how attorneys hold themselves out to the police and media at the time of the accident and access to relevant evidence. Hear from attorneys with countless hours of emergency response experience on these ethical issues and how to address them.

The registration is $75 for DRI members and $150 for non-members.

Sponsored by S-E-A

Industrial equipment plays a huge role in the ability of manufacturers and service providers to function as a successful business. They often require a substantial investment, but can lead to very quick returns and profits. That is – until they fail. When large-scale industrial equipment fails, multiple systems and/or components are often the culprit. This presentation will focus on the multiple mechanical systems involved, as well as examples of large-scale industrial equipment, and how all of these systems are necessary to prevent catastrophic failure.

Kyle Osier, P.E., CFEI | Mechanical Engineer | S-E-A

This webinar is free for DRI members and non-members.

Sponsored by KCIC

KCIC is proud to present a webinar on the 2022 asbestos filing trends. Michelle Potter, Sheila Klauck and Shreyas Malhotra from KCIC breakdown the filings to show who is filing these claims and where they are filing them. They also dig into the data around the underlying claimants and show some practical tools which can help defendants proactively manage the liability.

Sheila Klauck | KCIC
Shreyas Malhotra | KCIC
Michelle Potter | KCIC

This webinar is free for DRI members and non-members.

Opposing expert witnesses pose a unique challenge at trial. Effectively challenging an opposing expert’s opinions through cross examination is often a key to success. While each expert is unique, this program will equip attendees with replicable cross examination techniques and an understanding of how to challenge the conclusions of an opposing expert through reference to a learned treatise. Attendees will learn replicable cross examination techniques that can be used when deposing a witness or examining an expert at trial. Attendees will also learn how to use a learned treatise to impeach an expert.

The registration is $150 for DRI members and $250 for non-members. Registration for each hands-on, skills based webinar is limited to 30 to allow for maximum participation.

Sponsored by LawyerGuard

DRI and LawyerGuard recently collaborated on a recent member survey of key risk management concerns for the Civil Defense sector.  Cybersecurity threats emerged as the top ranked issue to the DRI community – join this informative webinar with hosts Noah Fiedler with Barron & Newburger and Kevin Sullivan with LawyerGuard to better understand the potential impact that Cybersecurity risks pose, along with key guidance and sources to help you better protect your own firm and your clients.

Noah Fiedler | Shareholder | Barron & Newburger
Kevin Sullivan | Senior Vice President – Program Manager | LawyerGuard

This webinar is free for DRI members and non-members.

The DRI Protect and Serve Task Force will host a town hall that will focus on recent mass shootings in schools and the broader context of the role of law enforcement in addressing violence and crime in schools. The panel will discuss whether law enforcement officers should be part of the school community. If so, what is the proper role and relationship of those officers to the administration, the students, and the community? What unintended consequences might arise from any changes?

Please note: The town hall is free of charge.

Sponsored by Laurel Road

Laurel Road invites you to a free Student Loans Best Practices webinar on Wednesday, September 21 at 12:00 p.m. Central Time/1:00 p.m. Eastern.

The webinar will cover:

1. How to position your student loans in light of interest rate uncertainty
2. What does the federal student loan payment and interest pause mean for your student loans?
3. What is student loan refinancing, and am I eligible?
4. Will refinancing affect my credit score?
5. Could I save by refinancing?

This webinar is free for DRI members and non-members.

The idea of “staged” accidents and motor vehicle accident fraud may seem like something out of a Fast and the Furious movie plot. However, those in the commercial transportation and insurance industries know that fraudulent accidents are an increasing problem that costs companies, insurers, and consumers billions of dollars each year. Far from a random, one-off act by an unsophisticated ne’er-do-well, fraudulent accidents are typically perpetrated by well-organized criminal rings. This presentation addresses common scenarios for staged accidents and fraudulent personal injury claims, as well as red flags that drivers, motor carriers, insurers, and defense attorneys should be on the lookout for when an accident or injury claim seems questionable. We will also discuss tips for investigating and defending against suspicious accidents and claims.

The registration rate is $75 for DRI members and $150 for non-members.

Sponsored by Exponent

Digital technologies provide a key element in differentiating therapeutic value for life sciences firms and their customers. Deploying these technologies can enhance value in clinical development, commercialization, and life cycle management, with further potential to remove barriers to care and empower individuals to take greater control over their health. This webinar will explore the benefits of deploying digital technologies to augment clinical and administrative information in developing convergent evidence that supports differentiating and optimizing the value of therapeutics. We will discuss practical considerations for scaling and replicating use, selecting "fit-for-purpose" technology, leveraging person-centric cohorts, and capturing value in use.

This webinar is free for DRI members and non-members.

DRI and MARC (Medicare Advocacy Recovery Coalition) have two informative MSP webinars in the works designed to make sure you are up to date on the law and provide essential information and resources to navigate the ever changing and complex MSP laws. The first webinar in the series will be on August 4, 2022.

A private cause of action was first added to the Medicare Secondary Payer Act in 1986 and was later revised in 1989. But did you know that there is legislation being introduced to eliminate the burdensome private cause of action? Join us for this fascinating webinar where you will:

• Learn about the current MSP private cause of action
• How to navigate MSP claims to avoid potential exposure
• What’s being done to reform the law through the Repair Abuses of MSP Payments (RAMP) Act

DRI and MARC (a national coalition of companies and other stakeholders with an interest in the Medicare Secondary Payer "MSP" Program) have partnered for over 10 years to bring attention to, build solutions for compliance with, and improve the MSP program.

Social media is omnipresent in today’s world. Facebook posts, Tweets, and Instagram DM’s are frequently sources of critical information in many legal disputes. It is critical that attorneys preparing for trial are confident in their ability to admit social media evidence so that it may be considered by the jury. This program will explain why social media evidence unique, the relevant legal standards, and how to admit social media evidence during at trial. Attendees will practice the steps of authenticating and admitting social media evidence in a small group setting and will receive feedback from experienced trial attorneys on using this skill. Attendees will also learn the fundamentals of the legal issues related to using social media evidence.

The registration is $150 for DRI members and $250 for non-members. Registration for each hands-on, skills based webinar is limited to 30 to allow for maximum participation.

Through the collective wisdom of three lawyers –two in the claims arena and one who defends catastrophic injury cases and mediates them– the presentation covers six best practices for getting the best result for your defense client at mediation. 

The registration rate is $75 for DRI members and $150 for non-members.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome is a common disease process encountered by emergency medicine and intensive care physicians.  With an estimated 200,000 patient encounters a year, ARDS is caused by a broad range of etiologies, ranging from viral and bacterial pneumonia to pancreatitis and major trauma.  The management of ARDS has significantly advanced in the last 20 years and has improved patient outcomes.  Current hurdles still exist in early recognition, advancements in medications and appropriate triaging to tertiary centers.  This program will also address defending ARDS cases including tips for deposing witnesses on symptoms and causation, how to gather and use expert testimony in this area and more.

The registration rate is $75 for DRI members and $150 for non-members.

A high level overview on the legal status of cannabis in the US, from state to state, with a primer on federal legalization efforts, and some information on the FDA / EPA approach to cannabis. May also discuss hemp, CBD, and Delta 8 THC.

The registration rate is $75 for DRI members and $150 for non-members.

Navigating the various and sometimes overlapping intellectual property rights and protections can be difficult for any litigator advising their client in a dispute, especially when that dispute involves rights held personally by an individually.

The panel will discuss common themes in intellectual property litigation across the variety of related disciplines, including the right of publicity and recent legal changes related to a person's "name image and likeness", copyright issues affecting artists and those litigating with them, and unique trademark aspects of IP litigation related to individuals - such as the right to use one's name as a trademark.

The registration rate is $75 for DRI members and $150 for non-members.

Whether due to civil unrest, storm damage, extensions of statutes of limitation or COVID-19, or other events that result in a large number of claims, pressure is being placed on insurers by governors, state legislatures and departments of insurance to pay these claims in an expedited manner. This presentation will explore the issues and impact of public pressure and government action on insurers when presented with catastrophes, and explain how carriers can ensure claims are adjusted and fairly paid.

The registration rate is $75 for DRI members and $150 for non-members.

Affirmative action was put in place by way of President Lyndon Johnson's Executive Order of 1965. Ever since President Johnson entered the Order, issues related to affirmative action have made their way to the United States Supreme Court several times. In 2022, the Court is poised to take up the issue of affirmative action again when it considers two pending cases related to college admission policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina.

This program will provide an analysis of the history and evolution of affirmative action and will address the possible impact of the forthcoming Supreme Court rulings. Finally, the program will address what possible impacts the Supreme Court's rulings may have on inclusion & diversity efforts.

The registration rate is $75 for DRI members and $150 for non-members.