Medical Malpractice Expert Witnesses: 138

Andrew Wittenberg, MD, MPH, FACEP, is the medical director of his Emergency Department and a practicing Emergency Medicine Physician with over 15 years of experience. He is certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) and is a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).  

Dr. Wittenberg currently works in a tertiary care center in southern California that is a stroke center, trauma center, STEMI-receiving center, and Pediatric Medical Center.  Dr. Wittenberg also has significant experience working in a smaller, single-coverage community emergency department.  Dr. Wittenberg graduated from Temple University School of Medicine and completed his residency at LA County-USC Medical Center. He has been recognized for excellence in teaching with awards from two residency programs. He also a national board examiner for ABEM.   

Litigation Support - Dr. Wittenberg offers expert witness services in medical malpractice cases involving Emergency Medicine. He provides consultation for chart reviews, expert witness depositions, and testimony. Dr. Wittenberg's services are available to both plaintiff and defense attorneys.  

Areas of Expertise:

Trauma Stroke Myocardial Infarction / STEMI /NSTEMI / ACS Pregnancy / Ectopic Pregnancy Sepsis Pulmonary Embolism (PE) Aortic Dissection Endocarditis Cauda Equina Spinal Epidural Abscess Meningitis

Aneurysm Pneumonia Appendicitis Intubation Ischemia Testicular Torsion and Ovarian Torsion Airway Management Fracture  Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Merrill S. Wise, MD, is a  a Board-Certified in Psychiatry and Neurology with special qualifications in Child Neurology, and special qualifications in Sleep Medicine. Involved in the full-time practice of sleep medicine, Dr. Wise has evaluated and managed the full range of Sleep Disorders since 1991.

Dr. Wise evaluates children, adolescents, and adults with the full range of sleep problems and disorders. He is involved with supervision and interpretation of polysomnography (sleep studies), Multiple Sleep Latency Tests (MSLT), Maintenance of Wakefulness Tests (MWT), and integration of these findings with the clinical history in order to develop a diagnosis and treatment plan.

Because of the population served in Memphis, Dr. Wise evaluates a large number of pilots (FedEx world hub), air traffic controllers, commercial drivers and barge pilots, rail engineers, and shift workers. He is experienced in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), narcolepsy, and other disorders of excessive sleepiness, insomnia, circadian rhythm sleep disorders, restless legs syndrome, and parasomnias.

Litigation Support - Dr. Wise has reviewed a wide variety of cases involving both neurology and sleep medicine for greater than 20 years including report generation, testimony at deposition, and at trial. He has served on numerous national task forces and committees, as well as the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). These experiences have exposed him to the full range of sleep disorders, as well as healthcare systems, best practices and evidence-based standards of care, policies, and the legal aspects of sleep problems and disorders. 

Special Interest and Expertise:  

• Individuals with Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
• Downstream Effects of Sleepiness on
  • Cognitive Function
  • Driving
  • Safety
  • Work
  • Behavioral Regulation

Jeffrey M. Wilder, DC, FIANM(us), CCSP, FICC, has 38 years of experience 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 21 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 26 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:

Chiropractic Standard of Care Clinical Malpractice Negligence Sexual Boundary Issues License Issues Disciplinary Actions

Fraud Review Informed Consent Documentation Worker's Compensation Diagnosis / Evaluation Management

Jonathan Wiesen, MD received training in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine with a special focus on Medical Ethics.

Dr. Wiesen is currently a Pulmonary and Intensive Care Attending Physician at Community Intensivists where his duties include general clinical care and workflow organization and protocol authorship. He also serves as a Medical Technology Analyst at OurCrowd where he is responsible for the Scientific and financial assessment of medical technology start up companies and provides multi-disciplinary interactions for assessments and investments.

Dr. Wiesen has extensive academic experience with over 75 publications, including first authorship on over a dozen full length manuscripts. He has been honored with the Teaching Excellence Award from the Cleveland Clinic, a non-profit academic medical center, which provides clinical and hospital care and leads in research, education, and health information. He also received the Best Abstract Award, Critical Care session, at the ACCP CHEST annual conference in 2014.

Litigation Support - Dr. Wiesen provides expert witness services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant. His services include medical record review, written reports, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Cardio-Pulmonary Hemodynamics Respiratory Physiology End of Life Sepsis / Septic Shock Pneumonia COPD Asthma Life Support

Mechanical Ventilation Smoking Related Diseases Interstitial Lung Disease Pulmonary Hypertension Lung Transplantation Biomedical Ethics Conflict Resolution Triage

Gregory T. Whitman MD is a board-certified neurologist, author, speaker and formerly on the faculty of Harvard Medical School. He practices Neurology in California and is available to consult and testify in other states.

Dr. Whitman is an expert in Neurology, Otoneurology, dizziness, vertigo, BPPV, gait, balance, falls, inner ear and vestibular disorders, vestibular neuritis, labyrinthitis, Meniere's disease, vestibular tests, VNG, labyrinthine concussion, orthostatic intolerance, syncope, loss of consciousness, neurological effects of medications, head trauma, concussion, traumatic brain injury, TBI, construction injuries, stroke, brain hemorrhage, Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, cognitive impairment, dementia, carbon monoxide, encephalopathy, brain injury, seizure, sleep apnea, neuropathy, spinal disorders, disability, and other areas of Neurology.

Formerly on medical faculty at Harvard, UCLA and UC Irvine. Previous Neurology Residency Program Director, Neurology Clerkship Director. Contributor to multiple medical books. Co-author of "Dizziness Why You Feel Dizzy and What Will Help You Feel Better" (Johns Hopkins Univ. Press). Experienced public speaker. Over 10 years’ forensic experience, including depositions and testimony in state and federal court.

James M. Wheeler, MD, MPH, JD, magna cum laude in Biology / Psychology from Harvard, is an OB/GYN trained at Baylor, with subspecialty training in Reproductive Endocrinology / Infertility at Yale. He is also a graduate of the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program at Yale, focusing upon clinical epidemiology and biostatistics and health policy. He also earned his MPH at Yale majoring in Biostatistics, minoring in Maternal/Child Health. He graduated from the University of Houston Law Center with a JD in 2005, and was invited to join the Health Law division there. He has completed ADR training, having completed training programs separately in mediation, and arbitration.

Dr. Wheeler is a former national officer of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and served on several of their health policy committees including the Health Care Commission and the Hysterectomy Committee. He has published over 40 peer-reviewed papers on a wide array of topics in ob/gyn, with a particular emphasis on methodology. He has given over 200 invited lectures to ob/gyns, reproductive endocrinologists, radiologists, midwives, nurses, surgical technologists, law students et al. He sees himself first and foremost as a caregiver, and second to only that, as a teacher.

Dr. Wheeler has consulted in several hundred medicolegal matters for over 20 years, mostly in ob/gyn, but including family practice, internal medicine and several of its subspecialties, general surgery and several of its subspecialties, and dermatology. He has been a testifying expert before the FDA for drugs and devices, and has testified before U.S. Congressional staffers on health policy issues. He reviews for attorneys from both plaintiff and defense bars, as well as insurance companies (e.g. Pro-Assurance), and health plans (e.g. Harvard Community Health Plan). He has helped with Board of Medicine reviews, and constructing/defending class action suits. The combination of his training in medicine, basic and clinical research, clinical epidemiology, biostatistics and law make him a uniquely qualified person to review the complex issues of medicolegal cases.

Dr. Wheeler is a qualified first-reviewer, and a convincing expert during testimony. He has never been excused from a case as insufficiently expert.

Areas of expertise:

Gynecologic surgery Forceps / Vacuum Uses/ Complications Fetal Stress vs. Distress Cesarean vs. Vaginal Birth Shoulder Dystocia Pregnancy induced Hypertension / HELLP Syndrome Hysterectomy: Indications and Complications

Preterm Labor Incompetent Cervix Endometriosis Pelvic Adhesions Leiomyomata Uteri Infertility Advanced Reproductive Technology (IVF)

Clinton F. Merrill, Jr., MD, has over 35 years of experience in clinical Internal Medicine and 28 years of experience in Medical Oncology and Hematology.

Dr. Merrill is experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of all solid tumors as well as the full range of hematologic malignancies. He has special expertise in benign hematology including: anemias, low blood cell counts, iron overload disorders, bleeding and clotting disorders.

Litigation Support - Dr. Merrill offers expert witness services to counsel representing Plaintiff and Defendant. His services include medical record review, written reports, depositions, and trial testimony. Dr. Merrill takes pride in providing thorough record review, meticulously researched reports reflecting unbiased opinions, and excellent communication skills with the ability to make the complex understandable.

Areas of Expertise:

Breast Cancer Colon Cancer Lung Cancer Tumors Leukemias Lymphomas

Myeloma Myeloproliferative Disorders Myelodysplastic Syndromes Benign Hematology Anemia Bleeding and Clotting Disorders

Tracy L. Skaer, PharmD, FASHP, FASCP is a Professor Emeritus of Pharmacotherapy with over 30 years of pharmaceutical experience; 5 years as an expert witness. She is a licensed pharmacist in California, Idaho, and Washington. Dr. Skaer is a Fellow of the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists, the American Society of Consultant Pharmacist, and a Member of the American College of Clinical Pharmacist's (ACCP) Pain and Palliative Care Practice and Research Network (PRN).

Dr. Skaer's research interests include chronic pain, comorbid mental illness in chronic disease, depression, anxiety disorders, insomnia, mindfulness, complementary and alternative medicine, and pharamcoeconomics and pharmacoepidemiology. Her research has been supported by over $3.2 million in grants from foundations and pharmaceutical industry.

Litigation Support - Dr. Skaer has completed several expert cases across the United States. Her services are available to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant and include record review, written reports, deposition, and trial testimony. Dr. Skaer's cases involve:

Chronic Pain Narcotic Use Opioid Pill Mills Illicit Substance Abuse Opioid Overdose Wrongful Death

Urine Drug Testing Medication-Related Suicide Medication Reactions and Interactions FDA Controlled Substances Act Opioid Prescribing Opioid Dispensing Regulations

View Dr. Skaer's Consulting Profile.

Emin Gharibian, PsyD, is a Clinical Psychologist specializing in Forensic Psychology and Neuropsychology with over 10 years of experience in assessing, treating, and consulting on psychological disorders.

Dr. Gharibian's training and experience have been in psychological and neuropsychological assessments in a variety of clinical settings including private practice, outpatient mental health clinics, psychiatric hospitals, forensic hospitals, and correctional facilities. 

He specializes in providing comprehensive psychological and neuropsychological evaluations for various conditions including dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, complications from a stroke, traumatic brain injury, concussions, learning disabilities, ADHD, and PTSD.

He also specializes in forensic psychological and neuropsychological evaluations for immigration hearings, mental health diversion and mitigation, testamentary capacity, competency to stand trial, personal injury, worker's compensation, and fitness for duty. He provides consultation services to personal injury and worker's compensation attorneys on psychological and neuropsychological-related matters.  He has also testified as an expert and served as a consultant for the defense and prosecution in state and federal court.

In addition to his private practice, he is a forensic psychologist for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He conducts psychological evaluations to evaluate patients for violence risk and determine if they meet the criteria to be committed to a state hospital, write court reports, and testify in court as an expert witness.

Dr. Gharibian has been appointed to the Los Angeles Juvenile Court Expert Witness Panel. He is also a member of the National Academy of Neuropsychology and the American Psychology and Law Society.

Areas of Forensic Expertise:

Personal Injury Independent Medical Evaluations Worker's Compensation Fitness for Duty Police Officer Pre-Employment Evaluations Immigration Evaluation Diminished Capacity Violence Risk Assessments Mitigating Factors in Criminal Cases Civil Capacity (Testamentary Capacity, Undue Influence, Contractual Capacity) Symptom Validity/ Malingering Mitigation in Criminal Cases Alcohol-Induced Blackout Alcohol Myopia

Forensic Psychology Forensic Neuropsychology Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Concussions Neurocognitive Impairment from Substance Use Complications from stroke Dementia Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Learning Disabilities ADHD Sexual Harassment Discrimination Mental Health Diversion

Timothy P. Luckett, BS, RN, CNOR, CRNFA, CIC, LNC a Legal Nurse Consultant (LNC) gives expert opinions and testimony in all types of medical malpractice cases for both Plaintiff and Defense. Mr. Luckett is a Registered Nurse Expert in Surgery, ICU, Nursing Home Neglect, Outpatient Surgery Center Matters, and Hospital Surgical Matters.

Mr. Luckett has served as a circulating nurse, RR nurse, and as a registry nurse in General Surgery, Orthopedics, Neurosurgery, Gynecology, Vascular and Urology Surgeries. He has given numerous laser safety lectures and is a clinical assistant for the University of California at Los Angeles, Registered Nurse First Assist (RNFA) program. Mr. Luckett has also served as a case consultant and reviews nurse malpractice cases for the California Board of Registered Nursing.

David N. Tran, MD, is a Doctor of Medicine who specializes in Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology. Dr. Tran attended Stanford University for medical school and completed additional training at UCSF for Radiology and Interventional Radiology. He currently practices at St Johns Health Center in Los Angeles, CA. 

Dr. Tran's clinical expertise is in Image Guided Cancer Therapies, including liver directed Y90 radioembolization and tumor ablations.  He also performs a wide spectrum of endovascular surgeries for vascular disease, fibroid disease, and benign prostate hypertrophy.

Litigation Support: Dr. Tran offers expert witness services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant. He performs independent medical examinations, second opinons, and litigation support. He is available for depositions and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Computed Tomography Magnetic Resonance Imaging Fluoroscopy X-ray Ultrasound Nuclear Medicine

Arterial / Venous Angioplasty and Stenting Arterial / Venous Thrombolysis and Thrombectomy Fibroid, Prostate, Y90, and Trauma Embolization Tumor Ablation IVC Filter Placement and Retrieval Venous Sclerosis and Ablation

Gastrostomy and Jejunostomy Placement Renal, Ureteral, and Biliary Drainages Dialysis Access Central Venous Access Vertebral Augmentation Biopsy

William Santoro, MD is Board Certified in Addiction Medicine and Family Medicine. In addition to being the Chief of the Section of Addiciotn Medicine at Tower Health and Medical Director at the Reading Hospital & Medical Center detoxification/rehabilitation program, Dr. Santoro is also the Medical Director at New Directions, Methadone Treatment center where he is responsible for all admission physical exams and for prescribing methadone to approximately 950 opiate dependant patients. Dr. Santoro is the Addictionist on staff at The Reading Hospital & Medical Center within the Department of Psychiatry. He is consulted by hospitalists to care for patients admitted to the hospital with addiction complicating their condition. Dr. Santoro runs a Medication Assisted Recovery Clinic, an outpatient program treating over 200 patients with buprenorphine (Suboxone) or Vivitrol maintenance. With an interest in Sports Medicine in 2001, he served as a volunteer physician for the U.S. Olympic Training Team in Lake Placid, New York. Dr. Santoro has been deposed more than a dozen times in the past several years. He has testified in court numerous times on behalf of the plaintiff as well as for the defense. He has testified in Federal Court and been involved in cases concerning the pharmacuetical industry. 

Areas of Expertise:

• All aspects of Addiction Medicine
• Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)
  • Buprenorphine
  • Naltrexone
  • Methadone
• Dual Diagnosis Pain/Addiction

View Dr. Santoro's Consulting Profile.

Dr. Ernst specializes in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Competency/Capacity evaluations, Mitigation evaluations, and Employment Evaluations. He is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the UCSF Department of Psychiatry and one of fewer than 35 psychologists in California who have undergone the rigorous examination process necessary to obtain Board Certification in Forensic Psychology. As a trauma expert, Dr. Ernst chose to complete an additional year of fellowship training in PTSD at the San Francisco Veterans Hospital. 

Having completed over 350 forensic evaluations, Dr. Ernst is frequently retained to conduct a diverse range of civil and criminal evaluations including, but not limited to, mitigation evaluations (juvenile & adult), competency/capacity evaluations, personal injury evaluations, mental state at the time of the offense evaluations, violence risk assessment, and employment evaluations. He is currently a Qualified Medical Evaluator for the California Department of Industrial Relations and serves as a member of the Criminal Panel for Psychological and Psychiatric Experts for multiple Superior Courts. Dr. Ernst's past professional experiences including providing treatment and expert testimony as a member of the medical staff of Napa State Hospital and completing VA forensic evaluations on veteran's alleging psychiatric injury from military trauma. 

Areas of Expertise:

Assessment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Personal Injury Evaluations Employment Evaluations Assessment of Civil and Criminal Competencies Violence Risk Assessment / Threat Assessment Mitigation Evaluations Capital Sentencing Evaluations MSO Evaluations Assessment of Neuropsychological Functioning Assessment of Malingering

Independent Medical Exams (IME) Trial Consultation Disability Evaluations Drug Abuse / Drug Addictions Anxiety Disorders Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression) Depressive Disorders Panic Disorders Schizophrenia Assessments Violence Evaluations

Alameda Office 1402 Park St., Suite C Alameda, CA 94501 Telephone: 415-913-8096

View Dr. Ernst's Consulting Profile.

Suzanne Dupée, MD, is a triple board certified Adult, Child, and Adolescent Forensic Psychiatrist specializing in Independent Medical Examinations (IME), Child Custody Evaluations, Fitness for Duty Evaluations, and expert witness for the California Medical, Veterinary, and Dental Boards.

Litigation Support - Dr. Dupée has an active forensic psychiatric practice specializing in family law, criminal law, dependency law, civil litigation and disability.  She has been designated as an expert in Federal Court, Family Court, Criminal Court, Dependency Court, Juvenile Delinquency and Civil Court in California, Arizona, and New York states.  She is an expert for several Los Angeles Superior Court panels:  Criminal, Child Custody Evaluator, Dependency Court and Juvenile Delinquency.  

Dr. Dupée has testified over 150 times in various courtrooms and has been deposed over 80 times.  She has worked on high profile cases and death penalty cases. She specializes in forensic evaluations of families in crisis and has completed 100s of Child Custody Evaluations and all forms of psychiatric evaluations for families in crisis.

Dr. Dupee has been retained in 100s of legal cases in civil, family law, criminal, disability and dependency cases. She has completed over 1,000 evaluations in various courts and for insurance companies and government boards. She has been retained by plaintiffs and defense counsel in civil cases.

Areas of Expertise:

Forensic Psychiatry Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Child Custody Solution-Focused Custody Evaluations Child Abuse Work-Related Disability Independent Medical Examinations Family Therapy

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder  Civil Psychiatric Evaluations Sexual Harassment Competency to Stand Trial Insanity Evaluations Adult Psychiatry Psychopharmacology Individual Psychotherapy

View Dr. Dupée's Consulting Profile.

Manonmani Antony, MD, DABA, DABIPP, is triple board-certified in Anesthesiology (ABA), Pain Medicine (ABA), and Interventional Pain Medicine (ABIPP).

Dr. Antony completed medical school at University of Peradeniya and later finished her residency at Texas Tech University, where she was awarded the Outstanding Resident Award. Dr. Antony was trained to perform advanced pain procedures utilizing cutting-edge technology during her Pain Management Fellowship at the University of Maryland. She currently lectures on Opioid Risk Management for the Medical Society of Delaware and the Delaware State Medical Board.

Dr. Antony's personal philosophy as a physician motivates her to explore every treatment option possible in order to avoid invasive surgeries and Opioid drug abuse in chronic pain patients. With great success, she uses Interventional Spinal / Joint Procedures along with Physical Therapy as alternative pain-management therapies to supplement patients' pharmacological regimens.

Litigation Support - Dr. Antony provides expert witness services for cases involving Interventional Pain Management and Opioid Risk Management. She has performed numerous Independent Medical Reviews (IMEs) and has testified in court approximately 25 times. Dr. Antony's services are available to counsel representing plaintiff and defendant and include Workers Compensation Review, Auto injury Review, Depositions, Narrative Reports, and Peer Reviews.

Areas of Expertise:

Cervical Epidural Steroid Injection Cervical Facet Joint Injection Cervical Medial Branch Block Cervical Medial Branch Neurotomy Diagnostic Ultrasound Fluoroscopic-Guided Hip Injection Fluroscopically-Guided Spinal Injection Ganglion Impar Block Implantable Peripheral Neurostimulator Intercostal Nerve Block Lumbar Discography Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injection Lumbar Facet Joint Injection Lumbar Selective Nerve Root Block

Lumbar Sympathetic Block Lumbar Transforaminal Injection Myofascial Trigger Point Injection Neuromodulation Neurostimulation Peripheral Nerve Block Piriformis Injection Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection (PRP) Sacroiliac Joint Injection Spinal Cord Stimulation Stellate Ganglion Block Thoracic Epidural Steroid Injection Thoracic Facet Joint Injection Total Disc Replacement