Required textbooks for this course:
Personal Injury and the Law of Torts for Paralegals, most recent Edition, by Emily Lynch Morissette, Aspen Publishers.

Highly Recommended Legal Resources:
Gilbert Pocket Size Law Dictionary, 3rd Edition. West Academic.

This is an accelerated course. Requiring an average of 12 hours per week reading and completing writing assignments. This course is the equivalent of at least 50 clock hours of study. Extensions will not be granted. A minimum passing score of 70% is required on all tests and assignments.

Class discussions and lesson material will include the different kinds of personal injury claims, including (but not limited to) car accidents, slip and falls, medical negligence/malpractice, manufacturer product defects and class-action lawsuits. Discover the basic categories of damages recovery, statutes of limitations and schemes for liability.

• Interview clients with a narrative of the injury
• Review medical records and nurses’ notes
• Prepare summaries of depositions
• Interview medical witnesses
• Observe and identify possible areas of negligence
• Keep and organize a trial notebook
• Understand the concept of products liability
• Be familiar with the concept of duty toward the victim
• Distinguish personal injury from torts to property or reputation
• Distinguish private torts from governmental torts under the Federal Torts Claims Act

Your final grade will be figured as follows:
• The six exams comprise 70% of your grade.
• Your participation in class participation assignments comprises 10% of your grade.
• The writing assignment comprises 20% of your grade.

On the final day of the program, participants take the State of Texas “TSBDE” Dental Assisting Exam.

Additionally, this program prepares participants for the National Workforce Career Association (NWCA) Dental Assisting Clinical Certification (DACC) Exam.  For more information about this exam, please visit the NWCA website.

Certification exam information is for reference purposes only and exam fees are not included in the program cost.

Guidelines
• The loan amount must be at least $500.00.
• The loan amount in the application cannot exceed the enrollment fee noted on our website.
• Books will NOT be included in the loan amount.
• Service charges may apply.
• When applying for the Continuing Education Private Loan, please use the UTRGV Continuing Education School Code: 003599.

Lender Information
• The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley does not endorse or recommend any specific lenders for private loans. You are free to select any lender offering private loans. We recommend you compare loans from several vendors to find the best interest rates/terms and repayment options.
• When exploring loan options, please ensure the lender offers loans for non-credit continuing education programs.
• Our department has identified that Sallie Mae offers private loans that may be used for continuing education programs. This is shared for informational purposes only and does not constitute endorsement.

Submit a required written request via email three business days before the program start date. Weekends are not considered. Partial refunds are not allowed.