Workers Compensation (HR) Expert Witnesses: 16

Jeffrey M. Wilder, DC, DABCO, FICC, has over 42 years of experience as a Chiropractor, and 38 years in private Chiropractic Practice. Engaged in private family-oriented practice as a chiropractor in Madison, Wisconsin since 1981, Dr. Wilder has completed a post-doctorate program in chiropractic orthopedics from National College and is a Board Certified Chiropractic Neuromusculoskeletal Specialist, a Diplomate of the American Board of Chiropractic Orthopedists, and a Fellow of the International Academy of Neuromuscular Medicine. This program is successfully completed by less than 1% of the nation’s chiropractors. 

Dr. Wilder has also been certified by the American Chiropractic Association Sports Council as a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician, a 120-hour certificate program dealing with sports training, and the treatment and prevention of sports injuries. He has completed state requirements in physiological therapeutics, surface EMG, and clinical nutrition, among others.

Dr. Wilder has also served as an officer on the Board of Directors for the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations, which commissioned the chiropractic profession’s first nationwide clinical protocol, known as, Guidelines for Chiropractic Quality Assurance and Practice Parameters: Proceedings of the Mercy Center Consensus Conference, 1993, Aspen Publishers, Gaithersburg, MD.  

A Past President of the 1,800 member Wisconsin Chiropractic Association, Dr. Wilder had one of the longest terms (6 years) in the 100+ year history of the organization. He currently serves as the representative for the chiropractic profession to the Wisconsin Medicare Carrier Advisory Commission.  He has also been a consulting expert to the state of Wisconsin's Worker's Compensation Division for the past 22 years.

Dr. Wilder has taught extensively to chiropractors around the country, providing continuing education. He has been a frequent spokesperson for chiropractic in the press, television and radio, including regular appearances on statewide Wisconsin Public Radio.

Litigation Support: Dr. Wilder has extensive experience over the past 29  years as a court-recognized Chiropractic Expert throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. Dr. Wilder has served as an expert in over 300 cases of alleged Chiropractic Malpractice, Motor Vehicle Accidents and Fraud Review.   He has reviewed and testified in court for both plaintiffs and defendants in cases involving chiropractic treatment, including claims of:

Dr. Richard K. Skala, DC, QME, has been a Doctor of Chiropractic since 1976, providing chiropractic manipulation and spinal manipulation, as well as related physiotherapy. Certified in Manipulation Under Anesthesia (MUA), he has been granted Hospital / Surgery Center privileges for MUA and has performed hundreds of MUA cases. He was one of the first chiropractors in California to train for and provide Extracorporeal Shockwave Treatments (EWST). He has post graduate certification in the performance and interpretation of neuro-electrodiagnostics. Consultation and Expert Witness Services for Attorneys regarding

• Personal Injury
• Industrial Medical-Legal Cases
• Standard of Care involving General Chiropractic, Manipulation Under Anesthesia (MUA), Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression, and Extracorporeal Shockwave (EWST)
• Chiropractic Licensure Compliance California
• Workers Compensation

One of the foremost experts in Workers’ Compensation in California, he has taught many doctors on the subject and testified at numerous WCAB trials and hearings. He has been declared an expert witness by the California Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board. He has been a Qualified Medical Evaluator since 1992, an Independent Disability Evaluator since 1992, a certified AMA Impairment rater since 2003, a Fellow of the Academy of Chiropractic Forensic Consultants (AFICC) since 2003, and a consultant to the California Board of Chiropractic Examiners since 2008.

Dr. Skala is a noted author in his field of expertise. He has written numerous published newsletter articles on Chiropractic and other topics related to that field.

As a highly professional & credible Expert, Consultant, & Speaker, Jean Seawright has provided trusted advice & HR Consultation to thousands of organizations nationwide. As president of Seawright & Associates, a Human Resource Management-Consulting Firm, Ms. Seawright is widely respected for her knowledge of state & federal employment regulations including, but not limited to FLSA, ADA, FMLA, Title VII, & others.

Since 1987, she has focused on engagements involving hiring, coaching, & terminating employees; regulatory compliance; charges of discrimination; performance management systems; internal investigations (including harassment); employee handbook development; compensation plan design; HR audits; hiring systems; job descriptions; & others. Ms. Seawright is a frequent speaker at state & national trade associations & is the author of numerous articles & publications in the field of human resources, including the popular book, The Employment Genie®, an exclusive hiring, coaching, & termination system for businesses. 

Areas of Expertise:

• Negligent Hiring and Retention
• Discrimination and EEO Compliance
• HR Policies and Programs
• FLSA and Wage and Hour Compliance
• Harassment
• Expert Witness Services for Employment Law Matters
• ADA
• FMLA
• Hiring Procedures
• Title VII
• Employee Handbooks

Ms. Seawright is available for case analysis, case theory evaluation, expert witness reports, depositions, analysis of other expert testimony, and trial testimony.

Ray S. Kim, Ph.D., is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Board Certified Forensic Psychologist. Dr. Kim is also a Board Registered Mental Illness / Substance Abuse Provider, Diplomate of the American Psychotherapy Association, Diplomate of the American Board of Psychological Specialties, Fellow of the American College of Forensic Examiners Institute, and Fellow of the American College of Advanced Practice Psychologists. 

Dr. Kim is currently the Director of Chicago Metropolitan Forensic Services at the Illinois Department of Human Services where he supervises a team of clinical psychologists and social workers who evaluate the placement of individuals into forensic facilities. He also serves as the Director of Clinical Training at Chicago Metropolitan Forensic Services where he developed and supervises a forensic practicum program which provides opportunities for specialized clinical training in the area of forensic psychology. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Kim has testified in over 50 cases in both criminal and civil court proceedings. He is sensitive to the nature of legal matters, and provides comprehensive, timely, and professional services. Dr. Kim's services are available to attorneys or defendants seeking a qualified evaluator to help support a case, or wishing to obtain a second opinion on a legal matter already in progress. He is skilled in utilizing the field of psychology's most up-to-date assessments to provide recommendations for prosecution or defense teams. 

Areas of Expertise:

• Psychological Evaluations
• Pre-Sentence Evaluations
• Sex Offender Evaluations
• Violence Risk Assessments
• Competency to Waive Miranda Rights
• Diminished Capacity
• Fitness for Duty Evaluations
• Substance Abuse Assessments
• Independent Medical Examinations (personal injury, workers' compensation, disability determination, malpractice)
• Detection of Malingering
• Federal Evaluations (competency to stand trial, criminal responsibility)

View Dr. Kim's Consulting Profile.

Jason G. Jones, MS, PT, Dip. Osteopractic, Cert. SMT, Cert. DN is a practicing Physical Therapist, Osteopractor, and business owner with nearly 20 years of experience in the private practice setting, focusing on outpatient orthopedic, work-related injuries, back and neck injuries, and post-operative rehabilitation. He obtained his Diploma in Osteopractic in 2016 and is currently one of less than 250 clinicians in all of the US and Europe to hold this prestigious credential. 

Mr. Jones has been the owner of Advance Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, LLC since 2002, and is the owner and president of The PMLC Group, LLC. The PMLC group, LLC began as a concept while recognizing the need for something different in the field of medical legal consulting. 

Mr. Jones recognized that there were too many non-legitimate and fraudulent injuries being awarded large settlements and judgments, as well as those that were legitimate injuries being denied the care and proper compensation they deserved. Because of this and his passion to make a difference, he founded The PMLC Group to utilize his skills, knowledge, and experience as a physical therapist to assist attorneys and insurance companies through the litigation process from start to finish.

Litigation Support - Mr. Jones has extensive experience and knowledge in the areas of work-related injuries, worker’s compensation claims, disability claims, and cases going through litigation. He has served as an advisor, fact witness, and expert witness as well as given depositions while assisting attorneys both plaintiff and defense. Mr. Jones specializes in the following areas of expertise:

Arnold J. Weil, MD has over 29 years of experience specializing in Non-Surgical Orthopaedics and Pain Management. A Diplomat of the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Chief Executive Officer of Non-Surgical Orthopaedics, P.C., one of the premier orthopaedic practices in the metro Atlanta area. 

Dr. Weil's practice focuses on conservative, non-surgical care of orthopaedic injuries, including the spine and extremities, with emphasis on spine rehabilitation, functional restoration, pain management, and ergonomic modifications. He treats patients with back and neck pain and a variety of other orthopaedic conditions. Managing acute and chronic pain through an advanced Non-Surgical approach, Dr. Weil has become one of the leading experts on Spine Care and Disability Management.

Video: Non-Surgical Orthopaedics, P.C. | The Overview

Litigation Support - Arnold Weil provides litigation support services to attorneys representing plaintiffs and defendants. He has maintained an unbiased reputation in the medical and legal community. Dr. Weil's experience includes over 300 depositions, medical-legal reviews, peer reviews, and trial appearances. 

Areas of Expertise:

View Dr. Weil's Consulting Profile.

Laurie Chua, SHRM-SCP, is a highly skilled Employment Practice Professional with over 30 years experience in working as an HR Professional employed by Fortune 25 companies and nonprofit associations, including Dell Computers, Pfizer Pharmaceutical, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and California Employers Associations (CEA). 

Litigation Support - As an HR Expert Witness, Laurie Chua has provided analysis for employment litigation cases. She is experienced and comfortable explaining California and Federal Employment Law to an audience, one-on-one, and over the phone. Ms. Chua has expert level knowledge in the areas of:

Ms. Chua maintains an active multi-state HR consulting practice with in depth knowledge of California labor code, employment regulations, and opinion letters. She was previously employed by SHRM as an HR Knowledge Advisor, providing guidance and responding to resolve over 3,500 requests per year in HR compliance and best practices. Ms. Chua is Certified by the Society for Human Resource Management as a Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with emphasis in Human Resources Management and Labor Relations. 

With extensive teaching and public speaking experience, Ms. Chua presents onsite management training seminars, conferences, webinars on sexual harassment, discrimination, disabilities in the workplace, as well as other programs focused on compliance. She has presented the SHRM Certification course globally to prepare HR professionals to sit for the intensive SHRM certification exam. Ms. Chua is highly skilled presenting the required AB1825 California's Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Prevention training. 

View Laurie Chua's Consulting Profile.

Beth De Lima, MBA, SPHR-CA. consults with Plaintiff and Defense attorneys in regard to human resource management, the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), discrimination and related topics.

Ms. De Lima is nationally certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources with a California specific certification (SPHR - CA) by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and was appointed to sit on the Employee Health, Safety, and Security Special Expertise Panel, 2006-2010. She is a certified mediator, U.C. Berkeley, Extension Program and had been appointed to the Amador, Calaveras, and Tuolumne County Superior Court Mediation Panels. Specifically, Ms. De Lima can assist you in preparing responses and compiling evidence for existing cases. Her litigation support services may be used to:

• Formulate questions for depositions
• Conduct investigations and interviews
• Evaluate the adequacy of personnel policies
• Analyze evidence and presentation materials
• Identify case weaknesses and alternative strategies
• Document employee physical suitability for work
• Determine "reasonable accommodation"

Please visit her website at www.hrmconsulting.com for more details. Ms. De Lima has offices in Murphys and San Jose California and are available at your convenience to discuss cases on a confidential and complimentary basis.

View Consulting Profile.

Dr. Christopher A. Lowery, DHSc, CLCP is a Clinical Health & Rehabilitation Consultant with a special interest in helping individuals and organizations with public health impairment issues.

Since 2002, Dr. Lowery passion is to educate, empower and provide hope to individuals that deal with Catastrosphic Health Impairments by educating them on how to live a better quality of life due to poor health care conditions, which will address social, cultural and behavioral barriers across all diverse populations.

He currently hold the following degrees at University of North Texas, Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Studies (07); University of Oklahoma, Master of Arts in Human and Health Administration Services (10); Capital University Law School, Post-Speciality Certificate in Life Care Planning (12); University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Post-Master's Certificate in Rehabilitation Counseling (14); and Nova Southeastern University, Doctor of Health Science in Global Health (16).  

Due to the broad knowledge of education, he practice as an expert on the following topics: expert testimony, litigation support, vocational evaluations, employment support/job placement, earnings capacity evaluations, rehabilitation consulting, medical life care planning, formulate reviews/opinions on independent medical examinations, disability case management, and a wide range of public health, medical, psychological and psychosocial aspect of disabilities. 

**If you have a case that needs Dr. Lowery's expertise, please feel free to give his office a call for a free consultation.

Note: Please see below or website for more expertise areas. 

Areas of Expertise:

View Christopher Lowery's Consulting Profile.

Todd Finnerty, Psy.D. is a Psychologist in Columbus, Ohio and an expert on Psychological Impairment Assessment and Disability Claims. Dr. Finnerty has been licensed as a psychologist since 2003, and is currently in active clinical practice providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (particularly for insomnia). Dr. Finnerty offers both forensic and treatment services in-person and telehealth examinations.

Background Experience - Since 2004, Dr. Finnerty has performed tens of thousands of medical records reviews on Social Security Disability Claims for the Ohio Division of Disability Determination. He also conducts psychological evaluations related to Impairment and Workers Compensation Claims (ex: for the Ohio Industrial Commission). He performs file reviews on short-term and long-term disability insurance cases and he's performed hundreds of medical records peer reviews for disability insurance companies (ex: working through Professional Disability Associates). 

Dr. Finnerty has experience reviewing the medical records of military treatment facilities after the suicide of their service members to determine whether the standard of care was met during the treatment. He provides disability evaluations and independent medical opinions for veterans (has worked with VES and QTC in the past contracting with the VA), and psychotherapy and psychological assessment (including validity testing) using Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and other evidence-based approaches.

Dr. Finnerty was named "Disability Review Physician of the Year" in 2012 by the National Association of Disability Examiners, Great Lakes Region, and the Ohio Association of Disability Examiners' "Consultant of the Year" in 2010.

Litigation Support Services: Dr. Finnerty is available to perform Independent Psychological Evaluations as well as Medical Records Reviews. His ideal clients are attorneys and organizations in need of disability claim review, worker's compensation claim review, or litigation related to impairment such as personal injury. 

• Medical Records Reviews and IME's related to short-term and long-term Disability Insurance and related issues
• Independent Medical Opinions / Nexus Letters for Veterans VA Disability Claims
• Psychological Evaluations (IMEs) related to Disability Insurance Claims, Workers Compensation (Federal and Ohio), and Functional Impairment
• Opinions / Form Completion related to Disability Leave
• Personal Injury psychological evaluations and records reviews

Contact Dr. Finnerty directly on his cell phone with questions at 330-495-8809.

Malcolm S. Cohen, PhD, President of Employment Research Corporation, has over 30 years of experience in the field of Economics and Employment specializing in Labor Markets and Statistical Analysis. 

Dr. Cohen founded the firm in 1997, after retiring as the Director of the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations at the University of Michigan, which he directed for 13 years. With a PhD in Economics from the MIT in 1967, his research interests include labor market information, labor turnover, employment forecasting and labor shortages. He has directed several major studies to identify national shortage occupations and measure labor turnover using administrative records. 

Dr. Cohen's book, Labor Shortages as America Approaches the Twenty-first Century, was published by the University of Michigan Press. His most recent book, Global Skill Shortages, written with Professor Mahmood A. Zaidi, is published by Edward Elgar Publishing. He has had articles published in a large number of journals, including: Journal of Human Resources, Monthly Labor Review, Journal of Political Economy, Review of Economic Statistics, Journal of Economic Theory, and The American Economic Review. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Cohen has either testified or been a consultant in over 1,000 audits or cases and has testified over 150 times. He has also served as an expert to the EEOC and U.S. Department of Labor in discrimination cases, and has directed many research projects sponsored by government agencies. 

Areas of Expertise:

View Dr. Cohen's Consulting Profile.

Peter Jaramillo, CIH, is a Certified Industrial Hygienist with nearly 40 years of experience in Occupational Health & Safety and Public Health. As Principal at Delta Bay Consultants, he has helped hundreds of satisfied clients improve workplace and site safety conditions, meet and exceed regulatory criteria such as OSHA, Cal/OSHA, EPA, NIOSH, and ACGIH, and successfully litigate occupational injury and illness claims.

Litigation Support - Mr. Jaramillo is a  subject matter expert on legal claims related to Occupational Health & Safety. He has provided expert witness services for numerous cases involving exposures to Coccidioides immitis (the "Valley fever" pathogen) in the California Central Valley. He has also supported various cases involving exposures to both Chemical Hazards such as welding fumes, diesel exhaust, and bunker fuel, and Biological Hazards such as histoplasma (a fungus in material contaminated with bird droppings) and Valley fever.

Services include legal research, supporting data collection, including contaminant sampling; document review (industrial hygiene and technical reports, medical records, lab results, chemical data); third-party reviews of previous investigations; and report writing.

Areas of Expertise:

In addition to his own industrial hygiene firm, Peter has served as a corporate CIH for the Oakland office of Intertek/PSI for many years. In 2010, Peter supervised ship decommissioning efforts for the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill cleanup in Pascagoula, MS. He provided decontamination oversight, trained workers, reviewed confined space entry data, and provided recommendations for safety procedures. As the on-site CIH for Merck's San Francisco campus in 2009–2010, Peter directed the animal allergens program, conducted risk assessments, managed the industrial hygiene database, and made regulatory compliance recommendations.

View Delta Bay's Business Consulting Profile.

Dr. Brian H. Kleiner was a former human resource manager for Ford Motor Company. He has had over 100 private and public consulting clients and has trained thousands of employees. 

Dr. Kleiner taught three 36-hour courses on KLCS-TV, has over 500 publications, and has given trial / arbitration testimony in over 70 cases, including one resulting in a $12.5 million plaintiffs verdict in 2014 concerning disability discrimination and wrongful termination. He has been profiled in Bender's California Labor and Employment Bulletin in 2007 as a result of his overall forensic expert successes and other achievements. 

Degrees Include:

• B.S. in Business Administration, Drexel
• MBA, UCLA
• Ph.D. Management, UCLA

Steven A. Bernstein, DPM, FACFAS, FASPS, is a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine who specializes in Foot and Ankle Surgery. Dr. Bernstein is Chief of Foot and Ankle Services and Podiatric Surgery at Hudson Regional Hospital, Secaucus NJ.  Dr. Bernstein's main office is in Fort Lee, NJ however sees patients in NY as well,  at Citimed, Complete Medical Care Injury Doctors serving Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and New York, New York. He reviews cases from all over the country. Dr. Bernstein is well versed in all types of Forensic Medical Legal cases. He also served as an Expert Medical Advisor (EMA) in the Division of Workman Compensation for the State of Florida for a period of seven years.

Litigation Support - Dr. Bernstein has over 30 years of experience performing Independent Medical Examinations (IMEs) and 2nd Opinions for cases involving Trauma and Reconstructive Foot and Ankle Surgery. He has provided over 1,000 IMEs and been deposed and/or testified approximately 500 times for attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant. Dr. Bernstein offers litigation support services in New Jersey, New York, and Florida and the rest of the country.

Areas of Expertise:

Edward J. Priz, CPCU, APA, has worked full-time in the Insurance Industry since 1976. In 1982, he also began consulting on commercial property and casualty insurance, and Workers Compensation insurance premium charges, and in 1987 established his own consulting firm to specialize in those fields, as Advanced Insurance Management. 

Mr. Priz holds the professional designation Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) from the American Institute of Property and Liability Underwriters, as well as the designation Associate in Premium Auditing, from the Insurance Institute of America. 

Litigation Support - Mr. Priz has been retained by policyholders, insurance agents and brokers, insurance companies, and a premium audit firm as an expert witness in his field, both as a consulting expert and as a testifying expert. He serves as an expert witness to counsel for Plaintiff and Defense and has testified in federal and state courts and arbitrations in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. He is a member of the Forensic Expert Witness Association and currently serves as Vice-President of the Chicago chapter of that organization. He is also a member of the Society of Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters, and the National Society of Insurance Premium Auditors. 

Mr. Priz has also consulted on the drafting of legislation pertaining to Workers Compensation insurance in Illinois and has testified on insurance regulation before the Illinois legislature. He is the author of three books on the subject of Workers' Compensation insurance.

Edward Priz Expert Witness Services

Areas of Expertise:

View Edward Priz's Consulting Profile.