Medical Malpractice Expert Witnesses: 87

Dr. Nicholas Ladikos is a Clinical Pharmacist and Drug Regimen Error expert. He started and operationalized system-level programs at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and is also the founder of MedOp Advisors, a concierge medication, nutrition, and health & wellness advisory company.

Dr. Ladikos also serves as a Medical Director for Optum Serve and is a Professor at both Texas Tech University and Arizona College of Nursing. He co-authored numerous papers in the areas of infectious diseases and antimicrobial stewardship, pharmacoeconomics, pharmacogenomics, geriatrics, and therapies in the lung transplant population. He conducts physician training and clinical staff education regarding medication trends and utilization, identification and mitigation for potential medication fraud, waste and abuse, and collaborates in disease management and population health programs.

Litigation Support - Dr. Ladikos is a subject matter expert in several pharmacy-related areas and serves as an expert witness on a number of Pharmaceutical litigation matters. Numerous hospitals have used his skillset and expertise in medical chart reviews to identify errors in medication preparation and prescribing, drug side effect management, standard of care compliance, continuing education delivery, and personnel assessments.

Areas of Expertise:

Dr. Ladikos currently develops and leads clinical programs that help stakeholders use and advance medication management tools (e.g., formularies, pharmacy, therapeutics committees and medication therapy management), quality metrics, research methodologies, and health information technology. He has experience in medication utilization statistical analyses to demonstrate adherence to evidence-based practice guidelines and inform health program policies.

Dr. Ladikos examines pharmacoeconomic trends to ensure that a cost-effective pharmacy benefit is administered to members, and consults with care management team to provide guidance regarding member goals. 

Paul J. Michaels, MD, is a nationally renowned Anatomical and Clinical Pathologist with over 20 years of experience in his field. Dr. Michaels completed his medical residency and earned a Fellowship in Cytopathology from Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School.

Litigation Support - Dr. Michaels offers expert witness services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defense. He has written over 100 general causation reports focusing on pathology and providing an extensive differential diagnosis in order to provide an opinion with a reasonable degree of medical certainty. Dr. Michaels has participated in numerous MDLs, been deposed over 60 times, and testified in court 6 times.

Areas of Expertise:

Background Experience - Dr. Michaels is currently a member of a 10-pathologist group that operates the largest and most comprehensive anatomic pathology services laboratory within Central and Coastal Oregon. He is one of two pathologists responsible for covering Bay Area Hospital, the largest hospital on the Oregon Coast, which serves as a regional referral center.

Dr. Michaels' roles at Bay Area Hospital include: Chairman of Pathology; Member of the Hospital Medical Executive Committee; Medical Director for Transfusion Medicine, Hematology, and Cytopathology; Member of the Cancer Committee; and Member of the Trauma Committee.

At Southern Coos Hospital and Medical Center, Dr. Michaels serves as Laboratory Medical Director where his Anatomic Pathology responsibilities include frozen sections, gross evaluation and sign-out of complex surgical specimens, review of numerous outpatient biopsies, GYN and NON-GYN cytology, presentation at tumor board conferences, and performing hospital autopsies. Clinical pathology responsibilities include peripheral blood smear and body fluid review, crystal identification, and evaluation of blood transfusion reactions.

Speaking Engagements and Presentations - Dr. Michaels has delivered seminars and presentations in Canada, Japan, and throughout the United States. Topics have included cytopathology, breast cancer, acute cellular rejection, and many more. 

Milliman’s Tampa Office provides a variety of Health Insurance, Health Care services, and Pharma consulting services to law firms, health plans, insurance companies, HMO’s, Blue Cross/Blue Shield plans, hospitals and other providers, employers and government agencies. Stuart Rachlin and other staff are experienced actuaries and related consultants.  

We provide support to our clients with all types of health related services including Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug plans (MAPD), Part D plans (PDP), ACA plans, medical, dental, long-term care, Medicare supplement & critical illness.

We assist clients nationwide with forensic actuarial work, rate filings, regulatory compliance, reserve projections, valuations, employee benefit analysis and design, mergers and acquisitions, claim cost analysis, and fee schedule analysis.

These health care services are used in litigation relating to:

• Life care planning
• Contract development and fee schedule analysis
• Pricing & Underwriting
• Senior Services
• New benefit plan design

Dr. Ronnie I. Mimran, a Board-Certified Neurosurgeon, and former Oakland Raiders NFL Team Neurosurgeon, specializes in Spinal Cord Injuries, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Complex Spinal Surgeries. He is the Medical Director of Neurosurgery and the Neuroscience Department Chair at Sutter Medical Center where he maintains an active clinical practice. 

Litigation Support - As an award-winning teacher, Dr. Mimran brings the capacity to effectively and succinctly communicate complex neurological concepts to his medical-legal practice. He provides Forensic Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery Malpractice / Standard of Care services to attorneys for plaintiff and defendant, including medical record review, thorough reporting, depositons, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Selected Background Experience

• Neurosurgeon Sutter West Bay Medical Group, San Francisco, CA December 2020 – present
• Chairman, Department of Neuroscience Sutter Eden Medical Center, Castro Valley, CA December 2021 – present
• Medical Director, Neurosurgery Sutter Eden Medical Center, Castro Valley, CA 2015 -- present
• Adjunct Clinical Professor UCSF Department of Neurosurgery 2006 – present
• Vice Chairman, Department of Neuroscience Sutter Eden Medical Center, Castro Valley, CA December 2019 – December 2021
• Neurosurgeon Pacific Brain and Spine, Danville, CA July 2005 – December 2020
• NFL Team Neurosurgeon Oakland Raiders, Alameda, CA 2009 – 2020

Dr. Mimran completed medical school at the University of Southern California. He subsequently completed a General Surgery Internship, Residency in Neurological Surgery, and Fellowship in Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, at the University of Florida. During residency and fellowship, Dr. Mimran received the Charles Shank Award for Excellence in Neurosurgery, was a Delegate Fellow for the Council of Neurosurgical Societies, and was honored as the Outstanding Resident Educator in 2002. 

Between 2016-2018, Dr. Mimran completed an MBA at Cornell University. Dr. Mimran has published chapters and peer-reviewed articles in the Journal of Neurosurgery, Journal of Spinal Disorders and Techniques, Clinical Intervention Aging and the Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases. He has successfully patented two neurosurgical devices.

Brent Moelleken, MD, FACS is a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon practicing in Beverly Hills and Santa Barbara. Double board certified, he received his training at Harvard University, Yale University, UCSF, and UCLA. Dr. Moelleken is one of three specialty-trained surgeons in the world to complete the year-long Aesthetic Surgery Fellowship at UCLA. He is an Attending Surgeon and Associate Clinical Professor in the Division of Plastic Surgery at UCLA, where he often performs surgeries and teaches residents. Here, he specializes in patients diagnosed with skin cancers in the facial area who require complex, artful reconstructions. 

Dr. Moelleken has innovated various procedures including LiveFill®, autologous fat-fascial grafts; the USIC® & LUSIC® cheeklifts, short incision cheeklifts; the 360 Facelift®, a comprehensive natural appearing facelift procedure; and the Hybrid Tummy Tuck®, a short incision tummy tuck for fit moms. He believes in publishing the results of his innovations in peer-reviewed journals. Results of Dr. Moelleken’s studies have been published in books, articles, and the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery journal. Dr. Moelleken provides free surgical services to Veterans at the West Los Angeles Veteran's Hospital through his UCLA affiliation, and has his own charity, the About Face Foundation ™, helping children and victims of violence or crime who might otherwise be unable to afford reconstructive services. Several of his charity patients have been featured in local and national television and print segments.

Litigation Support - Dr. Brent Moelleken provides expert witness support for insurance companies and counsel representing both plaintiff and defendant. His services include medical case review, depositions, and trial testimony when necessary. Dr. Moelleken has trial experience with the following issues:

View Dr. Moelleken's Consulting Profile.

MRK Medical Consultants provides Medical-Legal Evaluations to help legal and insurance professionals reach appropriate conclusions about their client's situations. MRK provides a wide array of medical experts that offer objective review and analysis of personal injuries. Each stage of the process—research to review, analysis to opinion—is addressed in a comprehensive manner in order to help legal and insurance professionals reach appropriate conclusions about their client’s situations. MRK's prestigious list of more than forty consultants are active clinicians and surgeons, who are all board-certified or eligible in one or more specialties. MRK provides physician experts to the entire State of California, the Reno/Lake Tahoe area, and Las Vegas, and we travel to many areas of the United States. Physical therapy, registered nurses, physician assistant, and billing review consultants are available services MRK provides. Our office physicians are available for telephone review of the merits of your case before you decide to proceed.  

Edward W. Younger, III, M.D., Medical Director of MRK Medical Consultants, specializes in Orthopedic Surgery. He has extensive experience in total joint replacement, as well as reconstructive surgery of the knee, hip, and shoulder. He was instrumental in bringing computer navigation technology to his hospital. He served on the orthopedic trauma staff at Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Carmichael, California, for more than fifteen years and was instrumental in bringing computer navigation technology to that institution. He is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha National Honor Society and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery, a member of the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, and the California Orthopedic Association.

Dr. Michael R. Klein, Jr., M.D., specializes in Orthopedic Surgery and is a founding member and the first Medical Director of Northern California Orthopedic Centers. He was involved with the development of the orthopedic section of the Level II Trauma Center at Mercy San Juan Medical Center. He served as a clinical professor at the University of California, Davis, Medical Center for more than thirty years. He has been a member of the North American Spine Society since 2009 and was awarded the David O. Selby Award in 2020 for his contributions. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, and a member of the American Medical Association and the California Medical Association. He retired from the USAF in 1998 after being on active duty during the Vietnam War, and he was activated for Operation Desert Storm in 1991. 

MRK's Areas of Expertise:

Dr. Robert Evans, PhD,  is a Licensed School Psychologist with over 30 years of experience in the behavioral sciences, including completing over 100 Child Custody Evaluations. Dr. Evans serves as a consultant to the medical, legal, and law enforcement community in Florida on Psychological and Educational matters. He consulted with Orange County Public Defender with cases involving arrest and incarceration of children, including Competency Assessments and Insanity Determinations. He has also provided Critical Incident Stress Debriefings to victims of crime in the Central Florida area. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Evans specializes in Parental Alienation cases which are commonly among those classified as High Conflict Divorce cases and he has written a book on Parental Alienation. He provides litigation support to counsel for both Plaintiff and Defense. His services include support with hearing / trial preparations, review of current evaluations, and support during and after the litigation process. 

Dr. Evans has given sworn testimony as a Forensic Psychology expert witness in NY, IL, PA, GA, FL, IA, ID, CO, OH, TX, TN, LA, MA, MD, MO, NC, SC, WA, and OR. 

Areas of Expertise:

• Parental Alienation
• Child Custody Evaluations
• False Allegations of Abuse
• Treatment Considerations for Alienated Children

Dr. Farr Ajir, MD, MBA, FACS, CIME, is a Board Certified Neurosurgeon with more than 35 years of experience in the treatment of disorders of the Brain and Spine. He is also Certified by the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners (CIME).

Dr. Ajir has been staff neurosurgeon at Mayo Clinic and Kaiser Permanente Healthcare Systems.

He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS),  Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and California Association of Neurological Surgeons. He is a Certified Physician Executive (CPE) with many years of leadership and administrative experience in healthcare delivery.

Litigation Support - As an expert neurosurgeon with decades of experience, Dr. Ajir offers services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant. He performs Independent Medical Exammination, and provides expert reviews and medical-legal opinions. Dr. Ajir holds medical licenses in California, Montana, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, Wisconsin, and Utah. 

Areas of Expertise: 

Brain

Spine

Kent C. Sasse, MD, MPH, FACS, FASCRS, FASMBS, is a Bariatric surgery thought leader.  Performed over 5,000 primary bariatric surgical procedures and 500 revisional bariatric procedures. Medical Director of nationally accredited bariatric surgery center. Award-winning teacher. Widely published scientist. Author of the nine books. Inventor and patent holder of bariatric surgical device. 

Clinical Experience includes: bariatric surgery and endoscopy, sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, duodenal switch, reoperative surgery, revisional surgery, hiatal hernia, wound care, Barrett's esophagus, hernia mesh, hernia mesh explantation, endoscopic stenting, leaks, Ambulatory Surgery Centers, and solving complications. Prolific public speaker. University of Nevada School of Medicine faculty. Experienced expert witness at both deposition and trial. www.SasseSurgical.com/books. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Sasse has served as a medico-legal consultant to attorneys involved in complex litigation. He has provided extensive expert reviews of complex cases for the State of Nevada, for independent insurance and disability carriers, and for the United States Air Force. He brings to each and every case a level of experience and unparalleled dedication to preparation, excellent service, and insightful review. His expert testimony has proven highly valuable , serving both defense and plaintiff to reach the truth. 

Dr. Sasse is a sought after speaker and an experienced trial witness, having logged many hours on the witness stand in highly charged cases. He brings a commitment to objectivity and thoroughness to each and every case. 

Areas of Expertise:

View Dr. Sasse's Consulting Profile.

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.

• Thoracic Surgery
• Vascular, Endovascular surgery and Phlebology
• Non-invasive Vascular Testing
• Wound Care

Dwight Owens, MD, Chief Psychiatrist for Peachstate Psychiatric Service Is a Board- Certified Psychiatrist, Forensic trained and Master Certified Independent Medical Examiner. He been practicing medicine for more than 30 years in both inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care.

Litigation Support - In recent years, Dr. Owens has worked on greater than 50 competency evaluations, more than 50 IME’s, and also served as an expert more than 25 times and has extensive experience in medical record reviews. His services are available to lay persons, law firms and private attorneys, independent medical examiners, hospitals, employers, and criminal justice systems. Dr. Owens has been practicing medicine throughout the state of Georgia and currently holds licenses in both Georgia and New York. 

Areas of Expertise: 

Dr. Owens received his Bachelor’s degree from the prestigious Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. He received his medical doctorate from Health Science Center (HSC) at Syracuse in 1994. He then returned to Macon, Georgia where he attended Mercer University’s School of Medicine, and obtained an internship certificate in the area of Family Medicine. In 1998. On completion of his Adult and General Psychiatry training, he attended Emory University in Atlanta Georgia and completed a fellowship in Forensic Psychiatry. (Psychiatry and the Law). In 1999 he became board-certified in Adult and General Psychiatry.

The Physician Assistant Experts Network™ is a referral resource for attorneys seeking expert medical opinions on the standard of care provided by physician assistants and advanced nurse practitioners. The PA Experts Network™ was founded by Jeffrey G. Nicholson, PA-C, Ph.D., M.Ed., MPAS, an experienced medical-legal consultant and a leader in the physician assistant profession. He will either help you personally or facilitate a physician assistant expert from his network of board certified Physician Assistant Experts in all medical specialties. See his article on this website. Practicing 30 years, a PA Educator, Assistant Professor, and Director of the University of Wisconsin Physician Assistant Program.

Services Include:

• Medical Records Review, Deposition, Testimony, Referrals of PAs, NPs, Midwives, CRNAs, and allied health PT, EMT etc.

Education and Certifications:

• Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI, 2008
• Master of Education, M.Ed., Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 1989
• Masters Degree in Physician Assistant Studies, University of Nebraska Click here for Website to see complete resume and photo.