Medical Malpractice Expert Witnesses: 82

Spine Surgery and Spine Medicine Consultant

The concepts of evidence-based medicine have been the cornerstone of Dr. Dillin’s education during his spine surgery fellowship in Neurosurgery and Orthopaedic Surgery and the format for decision-making in his subsequent practice. The critical analytic features inherent in the ‘best evidence’ approach to patients have permeated his writing and his lectures, allowing flexible adaptation as the science has changed. Since July 1985, Dr. Dillin has been exclusively devoted to clinical spine, interventional spine, and spine surgery practice. The combination of clinical critical thinking in conjunction with evidence-based medicine practice, allows spine specialty focus on any Independent Medical Evaluations or Medical-Legal Reviews. He is in clinical practice performing spine surgery, spine interventions, and evaluating patients with spine conditions. He is licensed in California, Texas, Arizona, Florida and Nevada. Dr. Dillin was a former partner at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic. I spent 2022-2023 in clinical practice and at the Effective Writing in Health Care program sponsored by Harvard Medical School. The program encompassed online and onsite (Boston) attendance. My study subject was the history of the expert witness in general, and more specifically, the medical expert witness. My capstone project, from the ‘Writing for the Public’, division is attached. This is the narrative account of “The Trial of the Medical Expert Witness.”

Litigation Support - For over 35 years, Dr. Dillin has traveled to refine and acquire the technical skills invested in Spine Surgery and Spine Interventions. His expert witness activity is embodied in his Harvard Capstone, "The Trial of the Medical Expert Witness." Dr. Dillin offers Independent Medical Evaluations and/or Medical-Legal Review, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Spine Surgery Spine Interventions Cervical Spine Surgery Thoracic Spine Surgery Lumbar Spine Surgery Failed Back Surgery Scoliosis Kyphosis Minimally Invasive Surgery

Spine Fusion Cervical Fusion Lumbar Fusion Artificial Disc Replacement Microsurgery Spinal Product Liability Spine Medical Malpractice Spine IMEs Spine IMRs

Dr. Andrew Mark Rodgers, BS, MS, DC, is a National Certifed Chiropractic Expert Witness with over 38 years of experience. He has worked on over 120 malpractice cases on the proper standard of care and has testified in 30 cases in the last 22 years. Dr. Rodgers is available for complimentary verbal evaluations, offers expedient affidavits and cost-effective testimonies and depositions for chiropractic deviation from standard of care cases nationwide. He represents both Defendant and Plaintiff.

Areas of Expertise

• Malpractice cases – proving standard of care and deviationsm, causation, and informed consent issues
• Administrative law, state laws, and honest medical protocols and billing procedures
• Plaintiff/defendant expert witness testimony in trauma cases, motor vehicle cases, workers comp cases and/or slip and fall injuries
• Insurance fraud
• Continues very active clinical practice

Paul M. Adler, DO, FACEP, MBA, Medical Director for the Ventura County, California, Department of Corrections, has worked in Correctional / Jail / Prison Medicine & COVID-19 Preparation & Response. He has overseen the care of inmates in Jails in California and New York, as well as Prison inmates who have been transferred to county facilities to serve their terms for years in county jails in California. He has also overseen Correctional health car in locked units in Hospitals . 

Dr. Adler is the President-Elect of The American Correctional Health Services Association of California / Nevada, which represents all clinicians and administrators in Jails/Prisons in California and Nevada. He previously oversaw a County Hospital, County Nursing Home and ran a County Health Department and oversaw Correctional healthcare for the Westchester, New York Jail.

Litigation Support - Dr. Adler has defended Jails and Prisons in Southern California, Idaho, Texas, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, etc. He is currently the expert consultant to the California Prison System for Covid litigation and the medical consultant to the judicial consent decree overseeing care in the Philadelphia Department of Prisons. He also served as the expert consultant to the ACLU for Covid in the Illinois Department of Corrections

Dr. Adler still works as a full-time practicing physician and has helped attorneys and insurance companies in Emergency Medicine, Nursing Home Medicine, Public Health and Hospital Administration since 1985. He has been involved in Plaintiff litigation in many states including against Rikers Island, NY and Cook County Jail and is available to review and consult on clinical Correctional/Jail/Prison cases for attorneys for both Plaintiff and Defense.

Services:

• COVID-19 Preparation & Response
• Medical Oversight of Federal Consent Decrees
• Screen Cases for Merit
• Review, Analyze and interpret Medical Records
• Provide Basic or Comprehensive Written Reports
• Interpret Standards of Care, Deviation and Adherences as they Relate to Correctional Health Care
• Develop Chronological Time Lines
• Policy and Procedure Development

Monica M. Argumedo, MD, is a Board-Certified Forensic and Clinical Psychiatrist (ABPN). Dr. Argumedo has testified about her forensic opinions in more than 40 cases in open court. In psychiatric practice for more than 15 years, Dr. Argumedo teaches at Rush University Medical School/Rush University Medical Center as Assistant Professor in Psychiatry. She teaches psychiatry residents in topics related to psychiatry and the law, and psychiatry in medicine. She also interviews prospective medical students through her role on the Medical Admissions Committee.

Dr. Argumedo works with Employers in cases where mental health/psychiatric concerns about an employee require an objective and unbiased Fitness for Duty Evaluation and report. She also consults in employment matters and litigation and serves as a disclosed expert witness. Her work addresses fitness for duty (FFD) in a litigated environment, Wrongful Termination, and Psychiatric Disability. Additional experience includes FFD of peace officers and first responders.

Services - Forensic Psychiatry, Medico-Legal evaluations, medical complications, review of records, written reports, deposition testimony, trial testimony, consultation to attorneys addressing psychiatric issues relevant in a case, opposing counsel expert reports or expert qualifications, assisting with cross-examination questions, and lines of inquiry.

Areas of Expertise:

Fitness for Duty Wrongful Termination Psychiatric Disability Depression Anxiety PTSD Competency Dementia Cognitive Behavior Emotional Distress

Pain and Suffering Standard of Care Institutional Care Medical Malpractice Discrimination Harassment Hostile Workplace Pre-employment Evaluation Security-sensitive Security Clearance

Gerald W. Smetana, MD, Board Certified in Internal Medicine, is a General Internist with 38 years of experience in an academic primary care practice at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. He is also a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School where he has taught internal medicine to medical house staff and also teaches extensively to practicing clinicians in continuing medical education settings. Dr. Smetana is a Master of the American College of Physicians.

Practicing in an outpatient setting, Dr. Smetana cared for a panel of patients that was weighted towards those with multiple chronic illnesses and high disease complexity. In addition to all aspects of office based general internal medicine, his areas of interest include Preoperative Medical Evaluation, Hypertension, and Headache.

Dr. Smetana has been repeatedly selected as a Best Doctor in a national survey. He publishes in the peer reviewed medical literature and medical texts, has edited textbooks, and has helped to develop national guidelines on topics in internal medicine. He has been invited to deliver seminars and presentations on various topics within his area of expertise nationally and internationally. He has been a section editor for the Annals of Internal Medicine. In April 2025, Dr. Smetana retired from clinical practice, but remains active in scholarly work, lecturing, and consulting.

Litigation Support - Dr. Smetana reviews cases for both plaintiffs and defendants and has testified at deposition and at trial as an expert on numerous occasions in most states in the eastern United States. He has reviewed medical malpractice cases over the past 20 years both for plaintiffs and doctors. Dr. Smetana also consults for risk management insurers. His record review and medicolegal consultation services are available throughout the United States.

Elbridge F. Bills, MD, FACOG, is a board certified OB/GYN with over 20 years of clinical experience in Obstetrics & Gynecology. Dr. Bills is a graduate of Emory Medical School and received a Master's degree in Metabolic & Nutritional Medicine from the University of South Florida.

With a full-time practice caring for and managing low and high risk pregnancies and deliveries, Dr. Bills also has an active gynecological practice including hysteroscopic, laparoscopic, and robotic procedures. He is licensed in both Georgia and Florida.

Dr. Bills is Board Certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a member of the American Association of Gynecological Laparoscopists, the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, and the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Litigation Support - Dr. Bills offers expert witness services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defense. He is available for cases involving medical malpractice and other OB-GYN related injuries. His services include medical record review, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Normal & High Risk Pregnancies Hysteroscopic Gynecology Laparoscopic Gynecology Reconstructive and Robotic Surgery

Gynecological Ultrasound Integrative Medicine Hormone Therapy Testosterone Therapy

Ernest N. Charlesworth, MD, is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dermatology, the American Board of Internal Medicine, American Board of Allergy & Immunology, and the American Board of Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology. He has over 40 years of experience in his field of expertise.

Dr. Charlesworth is one of only a few United States physicians who is board certified in both Allergy / Immunology and Dermatology. Well-versed in his area of expertise, he has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles, several textbook chapters, and two textbooks. He has been honored by the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology for both Distinguished Service and as a Distinguished Fellow.

Dr. Charlesworth offers litigation support, except independent medical examinations, to attorneys representing both Plaintiff and Defense. He has been deposed and/or testified approximately 15 times since 2010. His services include issues of causation and standard of care. Dr. Charlesworth has completed the National Catholic Certification Program in Health Care Ethics. He retired from active medical practice in May of 2014 but continues to be active in academic medicine.

Areas of Expertise:

Respiratory Diseases Asthma Immunologic and Allergic Disorders Dermatologic Diseases Allergic Skin Diseases

Allergic Drug Reactions Skin Cancers Health Effects from Toxic Mold Mycological Diseases Allergic Pulmonary Disease

Jessica Chaudhary, MD, is a Board Certified, Harvard and Yale trained Psychiatrist with specialties in Psychotherapy and Psychopharmacology. Dr. Chaudhary is a clinical instructor at Yale, and a fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. She has over 10 years of experience focusing on her fileds of expertise.

Dr. Chaudhary treats conditions such as anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, attention deficit disorders, women's mental health issues, substance use disorders, psychosis, and dementia with behavioral disturbance.  She has expertise in caring for those with complex medical and co-morbid psychiatric conditions, and she treats individuals across the life span. 

Dr. Chaudhary can provide all services through TELEHEALTH.

Litigation Support - Dr. Chaudhary offers litigation support services in civil and criminal cases to attorneys for Plaintiff and Defense. She is a private consultant and expert witness for attorneys and organizations nationwide. Her services include:

• General Psychiatric Issues
• Women's OB / GYN Issues
• Substance Abuse Issues
• Evaluation and Treatment of Impaired Professionals (and/or consultation with their professional organizations)
• Independent Medical Examination
• Disability Evaluation

Education: Wellesley College, BA; University of Washington School of Medicine, MD; Yale University, Internship and Residency in Psychiatry; Harvard University, Fellowship in Psychosomatic Medicine

Medical Licenses: CT, MA, FL, TX

View Dr. Jessica Chaudhary's Consulting Profile.

Clive M. Segil, MD, FACS, FRCS is an internationally renowned Orthopedic Surgeon with 45 years of experience in the management of Musculoskeletal Disorders. He practices orthopedic surgery, treating all orthopedic conditions.

Dr. Segil is on the staff of Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, St Johns Hospital Medical Centre, Valley Presbyterian Hospital.

He is in active practice in the Los Angeles, with offices in Century City, Encino, Lawndale, Glendale, Lancaster, Pomona. He is a past assistant clinical professor of orthopedics at the University of Southern California School of Medicine and a past Clinical Chief of Orthopedics at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Dr. Segil completely understands the forensic system, is comfortable and confident in presentation and trial appearance, and is not intimidated by court proceedings. He has experience in all aspects of Orthopaedic Surgery. He is familiar with the new changes in the Workers' Compensation arena, including using the AMA guidelines, the ACOEM guidelines, and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery guidelines for spine problems.

Dr. Segil testifies for defense and plaintiff cases with an unbiased, erudite, understandable, and logical argument to support the facts and evidence. He has provided unbiased, detailed, ratable, and credible reports concerning injured workers and has given an honest opinion as to their condition, causation, prognosis, disability, and apportionment in a precise organized manner.

View Dr. Segil's Consulting Profile.

Sanam Hafeez, PsyD, is a Clinical and Forensic Psychologist with over 20 years of experience. She is a pioneer in neuropsychological assessments, reshaping its clinical model and best practices.

Dr. Hafeez received her doctorate from Hofstra University and completed her post-doctoral work in Neuro-developmental Psychology at Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn, NY. She is a New York State licensed psychologist and a New York State Certified School Psychologist. She is an expert in trauma, learning problems, ADHD and Autism. Dr. Sanam Hafeez has been recognized through multiple honors, from faculty appointments at Columbia University, CUNY schools, as well as Molloy College. She has authored papers and textbook chapters on trauma.

Litigation Support - Dr. Hafeez has successfully evaluated and testified for several forensic cases, resulting in desirable decisions and multi-million dollar awards. She has testified for immigration cases, those involving trauma and damages, custody, and education. Dr. Hafeez has also consulted and worked on complex matters of wrongful death, sexual assault, matters of national security, and catastrophic injury.

Areas of Expertise:

Neuropsychological Evaluations Civil and Criminal Matters Psychology Malpractice Personal Injury Immigration Issues Child Custody Substance Abuse

PTSD Learning Disabilities Trauma Autism ADHD Mood Disorders Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Lori S. Corley MD, FAAP, is Board Certified in Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. Also certified in Basic Life Support (BLS) and Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP), she provides comprehensive medical care for infants, children, and adolescents, acting as their primary care physician. 

Employment Experience

• Consultant / Expert Witness for Medical Malpractice cases - Case list available on request (2004-present)
• Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Georgia Health Sciences University /Medical College of Georgia (2002-present)
• Adjunct Professor, MSN Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program, Kennesaw State University (2001-present)

Dr. Corley provides litigation support services to attorneys representing Plaintiff and Defense. She is available to review medical records, give depositions, and trial testimony for cases that include issues of causation, quality control, and standard of care. 

Areas of Expertise:

• Pediatric Medicine - General infections and illnesses (fevers, sore throats, ear infections, etc.) and minor injuries, as well as some diseases (septic shock), emotional stressors in children that may lead to psychiatric or mental health complications, including developmental and anxiety disorders, behavioral problems and functional complications
• Adolescent Medicine - Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), substance abuse, obesity, eating disorders, mental illnesses (ADHD), acne, pregnancy, birth control programs, menstrual disorders, problems with puberty, among many other conditions and disorders

Divya Chander, MD, PhD, is a board-certified Anesthesiologist with a Neuroscience PhD and extensive teaching experience. Dr. Chander trained at Harvard, UCSF, UCSD, and the Salk Institute. She is currently the Chair of Neuroscience and Faculty in Medicine at Singularity University. She is also a Visiting Scholar in the Stanford Department of Medicine, Biomedical Informatics, and was a member of the Stanford Anesthesiology Faculty for 8 years.

Litigation Support - Dr. Chander offers expert witness services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defense. Services include medical record review, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Neurosurgical Anesthesia Obstetric Anesthesia General surgical Anesthesia

Awareness Under Anesthesia Difficult Airway Head and Neck / ENT Anesthesia

Background Information - Dr. Chander's postdoctoral training Stanford (Deisseroth/de Lecea Labs) allowed her to use light-activated ion channels inserted in DNA (optogenetics) to study sleep and consciousness switches in brains. In the operating room, she applies EEG technology to understand what human brains and the underlying networks look like when they lose and regain consciousness. Dr. Chander also has a precision medicine initiative focused on understanding genetic variability in responses to anesthetic drugs and brain oscillations. Her goal is to understand neural mechanisms of consciousness, as well as the evolution of human consciousness secondary to human augmentation.

Dr. Chander is working on devices that read and write the brain (brain mapping, neuromodulation) and link to brain machine interfaces for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

Dr. Chander also works in the field of space life sciences. A finalist for astronaut selection and an alumnus of the International Space University, she has performed remote simulations of trauma rescues, anesthesia and surgery in Mars analogue settings with physicians in the US, France, and the Concordia base in Antarctica. She has also been involved with a consortium that elaborated a road-map for studying the effect of microgravity and radiation on the nervous system, cardiovascular system, cognition and sleep.

View Dr. Divya Chander's Consulting Profile.

Marwan R. Khalifeh, MD, is widely regarded as being among the most accomplished Washington, DC area Cosmetic and Plastic Surgeons, board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. He was educated at top-rated Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Plastic Surgery Program, ranked as the number one hospital year after year by U.S. News and World Report. He started the program as a surgical intern in 2000 and was selected to serve as Chief Resident in the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery program.

Dr. Khalifeh’s achievements and technical skills led to him being selected to serve as an Assistant Professor and Co-Director of the Cosmetic Surgery Education Program at Johns Hopkins University in the Department of Plastic Surgery. (Medical degree: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (2000); General Surgery Residency: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2004); Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Residency: University of Maryland Baltimore (2006)

Litigation Support - Dr. Khalifeh provides expert witness opinions in matters involving Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery Malpractice. His services are available to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant and include medical record review, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Plastic Surgery Medical Malpractice Breast Augmentation / Revision Fat Transfer Facelift Body Lifts

Chin Lift Eyelid Surgery Liposuction / Body Contouring Injectables Fillers Gynecomastia

View DC Cosmetics' Consulting Profile.

Vera Dolan is an epidemiologist with over 30 years of experience in the life and health insurance industries. She is one of the leading mortality experts in the life insurance industry. She writes underwriting manuals and policy and procedure manuals for life and health insurance companies.

Vera has testified in both state and federal court, and has been retained in over 200 cases since 2006 for plaintiffs and defense on an equal basis. She is very credible testifying in deposition and on the stand.

* Life expectancies that are personalized and accurate to the standards of the life insurance and life settlement industries. Addresses the cases when life expectancies that are simply taken from a life table or estimated by a doctor, actuary or biostatistician are too long, too short, insufficient or not credible. Addresses the cases when a complete insight into the individual's medical conditions and/or personal history of high-risk behaviors is needed to assist the judge or jury in their decision. This information often decides the case, see article for details.

* Expert in bad faith/wrongful denial of life/health insurance claims.

* Expert in life/health insurance underwriting material misrepresentation.

* Expert in medical risk assessment and underwriting issues.

* Expert in life insurance underwriting policies and procedures.

* Expert in epidemiology. Previous cases include infectious diseases, occupational and environmental exposures, pesticides and tobacco.

* Approved life expectancy expert with the U.S. Department of Justice.

* Active consultant to the life insurance industry conducting cohort mortality studies, and writing underwriting and policy and procedure manuals.

* Over 100 articles published on mortality research and underwriting.

* Friendly, clear, concise, objective and quantitative.

* There is no charge for the initial phone consultation.

* There is no charge for travel time.

Dr. Babak ("Bob") Kamkar is a California Licensed Optometrist with over 30 years oof experience, and one of fewer than 2% of California optometrists who are licensed to the maximum level of the law, including diagnosing and treating glaucoma. Dr. Kamkar is also currently one of fewer than five optometrists with additional credentials as a Qualified Medical Evaluator (Q.M.E.) and Agreed Medical Evaluator (AME) in the State of California. For the past several years, 

Dr. Kamkar has two locations for his private practice, Costa Mesa in Orange County and Glendale in Los Angeles County. He is dedicated to providing patients with unsurpassed service combined with the latest in eye care equipment. 

Dr. Kamkar is  the inventor of the  APD Tester ™, a pupil testing device. Among the technologies incorporated in this practice, undilated 200-degree fundus photography is performed on every patient using OPTOS Optomap® Retinal Exam. For those who need further diagnostic tests, ocular blood flow study and the Heidelberg retina tomograph (HRT3) are performed. HRT3 uses laser technology to produce a topographical image of a patient’s optic nerve, providing an objective analysis of the structure’s cup, rim and retinal nerve fiber layer, as well as detailed 3-D views of the retinal layers in the macula. Additionally FDT and Octopus visual fields are utilized for various eye and vision disorders. 

Dr. Kamkar is skilled in fitting a variety of contact lenses, including difficult cases of Keratoconus. He is certified for fitting Synergeyes lenses, which incorporate a rigid center with a soft lens periphery for maximum comfort and vision. 

Dr. Kamkar is available as an Expert Witness for both Plaintiff and Defense. He has provided QME and AME examination and reports to Californians for over 15 years.