Dr. Thomas J. Berger was board certified in 1981 as a cardiac surgeon by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and has been involved, as an expert, in over 300 medical malpractice cases. Most of this experience has been since 1998, when his firm, Heart of the Matter Expertise, began to gain recognition, within the legal community, as the premier expert witness service for cases involving cardiac surgery and cardio-thoracic disease.
Areas of Expertise:
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Cardiology
- Surgery - General
- Thoracic Surgery
Mission Statement
To see that the truth about every case, in which an associate of Heart of the Matter Expertise becomes involved, is uncovered and understood, whether this means assuring justice for a poorly treated patient or protecting the precious reputation of an unfairly accused physician.
In 1998, problems with my vision forced me to retire from the active practice of cardiac surgery...In recent years it has become progressively more difficult for attorneys to find experts willing to tell the truth about malpractice.
Thomas J. Berger, MD
In addition to his credentials in cardiac surgery, Dr. Berger is a Faulkner Award winning author. His first novel, Dueling in Death's Backyard, is a medical murder mystery based on his experiences as a surgery resident in Birmingham, Alabama in the 1970s. Any medmal attorney will benefit greatly from the knowledge of cardiac surgery, hospital politics, VA scandals and related topics to be gained effortlessly by enjoying this great story. There is even specific commentary in the novel about the so-called "medmal crisis" and the shameful response of some medical organizations to the challenge of substandard care by their members.
Thomas J. Berger, MD, et al
Dr. Berger is the author of the chapter "Your Medical Malpractice Expert: An Advocate For The Truth." This is an authoritative, insider's perspective on the best practices for utilizing and building relationships with medical malpractice experts. Featuring leading medical experts from across the country, these leaders guide the reader through the process of preparing and presenting expert witnesses testimony in court. The authors describe the medical records that are most important when formulating an opinion on a case and explain how experts analyze this data alongside scientific research in order to maintain credibility.