Medical Legal Consultants Consultants: 35

Gerald W. Smetana, MD, Board Certified in Internal Medicine, is a General Internist with over 34 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 teaches internal medicine to medical house staff and also extensively to practicing clinicians in continuing medical education settings. 

Practicing in an outpatient setting, Dr. Smetana cares for a panel of patients that is 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 and has received a national award for scholarship in medical education. 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. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Smetana reviews cases for both plaintiffs and defendants, and has testified at deposition and trial as an expert more than 45 times. He has reviewed several hundred medical malpractice cases over the past 10 years both for plaintiffs and doctors. Dr. Smetana also consults for risk management insurers. His primary care, record review, and medicolegal consultation services are available throughout the United States.

Stanley C. Haimes, MD, MPH, CIH, FACOEM, is board certified in Occupational Medicine and has extensive experience in travel medicine, medical surveillance, drug testing, and wellness programs for companies of all sizes.

Dr. Haimes is also a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Medical Officer for OSHA, and Member of the national committee that determines safe exposure levels to chemicals in the workplace. He is highly qualified to analyze workplace conditions ranging from Air Quality and Bio-hazard Risks to Noise Pollution and Work Site Ergonomics.

Background - For 10 years, Dr. Haimes served as the medical director for Lockheed Martin, where he developed their travel medicine program, performed travel clearance and immunizations for 30 international destinations, and reduced their Workers’ Compensation costs by 75 percent. He also served as the medical director for the National Science Foundations’ Antarctic Program, providing medical clearance for destinations like the South Pole.

A high-profile member of the occupational medicine community, Dr. Haimes has written numerous medical surveillance guidelines for the OSHA. He also serves on a number of national committees responsible for establishing the medical criteria for emergency personnel on behalf of the National Fire Protection Association and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Litigation Support - Dr. Haimes provides expert witness services for Cases involving Occupational Medicine and Medical Toxicology. His services are available to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant and include medical record review, depositions, and trial testimony.

Areas of Expertise:

Occupational Medicine Toxicology Exposure Evaluation Disability Evaluation Return to Duty

Fit for Duty Worker's Compensation Complex Causation Firefighter Medical Employment Criteria Law Enforcement Medical Employment Criteria

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

Clive M. Segil, MD, FACS, FRCS is an internationally renowned Orthopedic Surgeon with 30 years of experience in the management of Musculoskeletal Disorders. Dr. Segil sees the patient as a “whole person” not only a “disease,” and places great emphasis on the mind-body connection, applying the concept of what is best for the patient. This means that he uses treatments that result in a cure, at best, and at very least, a marked improvement in their well-being.

For the past 25 years, Dr. Segil has been involved in research and teaching. He is a past assistant clinical professor of orthopedics at the University of Southern California School of Medicine and as a past Clinical Chief of Orthopedics at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He continues as a leading orthopedic surgeon in private practice in Los Angeles, California.

Dr. Segil treats the following Orthopedic conditions:

• Injuries - Bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles, cartilage, nerves
• Deformities - Scoliosis, club feet, spondylolisthesis, leg length discrepancies
• Degenerative Conditions - Joints and Spine
• Tumors
• Congenital Defects - Hips, club feet

Dr. Segil is a lecturer and visiting professor in Japan, South Africa, England, Canada, Israel, and China. He speaks and teaches on such topics as sports injuries, spinal cord injuries, innovative orthopedic surgery procedures, and workers' compensation issues.

View Dr. Segil's Expert Witness Profile.

Yolanda Anderson, RN, BSN, CEN, CLNC is a Registered Nurse and has been working in the Emergency Department for more than 25 years. She began work in the Emergency Department of Los Angeles County, USC Medical Center, a level I Trauma Center. She then worked in the Emergency Department at Saint Anthony Hospital Central in Denver, Colorado, a level I Trauma Center where she helped initiate the Hyperbaric Medicine program. For 15 years, she was employed as a staff RN, Charge RN and Assistant Nurse Manager in the Emergency Department at Littleton Adventist Hospital - Littleton, Colorado, a level II Trauma Center. There, she helped with the expansion and reconstruction of the current Emergency Department facility.

A Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, Ms. Anderson is knowledgeable about all aspects of Hospital Care and Standards of Care for Physicians, Nurses and Ancillary Personnel. Her consulting services include:

• Hospitals, Clinics, and Offices - Consult and organize for the development and expansion of a new facilities or offices and related care patterns
• Personal - Consult with family members to organize health care history, needs, and medications and to help understand healthcare information and interpretation
• Teaching - Emergency Nurse Pediatric Course Instructor, Triage Class instructor, Charge Nurse class instructor

View Yolanda Anderson's Expert Witness Profile.

Lawrence Amsel, MD, MPH, is Board Certified in Psychiatry and Neurology. An Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and an Attending physician at New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York, NY, he specializes in:

Evidence Based Psychotherapy for Anxiety Disorders - PTSD - Psychological Sequelae of Terrorism

With an MD from Yale University and an MPH in Biostatistics from Columbia University, Dr. Amsel combined his clinical expertise with his analytic mathematics background to become one of the early champions of the application of Decision Science, Game Theory, and Behavioral Economics to Psychiatric Research. 

Dr. Amsel has published numerous articles and delivered presentations, symposia, and workshops on Behavioral Economics and Game Theory and other topics on Mathematical Psychiatry. His speaking services are in demand both nationally and internationally. Dr. Amsel will contribute to the proposed study, “Adolescent and Family Decision Making In Time of Disaster,” as Co-Principal Investigator and will serve as the team expert on decision tasks, helping to incorporate the selected tasks into the overall study design. He will be involved in supervising the collection of data related to these tasks and will help guide study design, data collection and analysis, and assist in the interpretation and publication of research findings. 

In 2003, Dr. Amsel organized the first ever American Psychiatric Association symposium on applications of Game Theory to psychiatry. He has published articles and presented posters on Game Theory modeling of suicide, OCD, and PTSD. After 9/11, Dr. Amsel joined the Trauma Studies and Services division at the New York Psychiatric Institute, and has been involved in treating victims of 9/11 and their families, in training community clinicians in cutting edge treatments for PTSD and Complicated (Traumatic) Grief, as well as in doing research on optimal methods of disseminating this training. 

Over the last several years, Dr. Amsel has been collaborating with Dr. Hoven at the Child Psychiatric Epidemiology Group (CPEG) working on understanding the connection between decision deficits, trauma and psychiatric disorders in the developing brain of children/adolescents. He has extensive clinical expertise within psychiatric research, as well as expertise in applying decision science tasks in psychiatric research settings.

View Dr. Amsel's Expert Witness Profile.

Lori S. Corley MD, FAAP, is Board Certified in Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. Also certified in Basic Life Support (BLS) and Neonatal Advanced Life Support NALS, 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

Dr. Matthew Lee, MD, RPh, MS. is a Physician, Pharmacist, Pharmacologist and Toxicologist who also practices as an Expert Witness and Legal Strategy Consultant. Specific Benefits Include:

• Increased quality and integrity of written expert reports, based on an expanded knowledge base
• Time savings by only having to coordinate and discuss a case with one expert as opposed to two or more
• Since there is so much overlap between fields in the medical profession it is often hard to determine where one scope ends and another begins. This ambiguity is dramatically decreased , and scope increased by combining physician, pharmacist, and pharmacologist into one
• Communication skills of a pharmacist and experience dealing directly with the lay-public, in addition to the knowledge and background of a physician is extremely beneficial describing technical details to a jury
• Practicing in different realms within the healthcare field has allowed Dr. Lee to integrate the multiple facets giving him a unique and distinct perspective that no other expert has.

Case Experience Includes:

Criminal and Civil Cases Anaphylactic Reactions Overdose Wrongful Death Cardiac Arrest Respiratory Arrest Fentanyl Overdose Dilaudid Overdose Pharmacist Mis-Fills

Pharmacist Dispensing Errors Pharmacy Standard of Care Medication Adverse Effects Falls Related to Medications (in and out of hospital) Toxicology/Toxic Reactions Medical Marijuana Positive Drug Screens in the Workplace Workplace Safety Fit for Duty Testing

Elite Medical Experts works with attorneys to provide 100% Board-Certified physicians and surgeons practicing at the professorial level at the nation's leading universities. From Stanford to Yale, and from every medical and surgical specialty, Elite secures full-time practicing high-level experts from the nation’s most respected medical institutions. Each specialist is truly unique – a Board Certified professor with a dedicated clinical practice, extensive publications, and top-tier credentials from a major U.S. medical center. 

Complex Consulting at the Intersection of Medicine & Business
Elite Medical Experts also consults on complex strategic and tactical issues for enterprises of any size, and has extensive experience securing top-tier Professors of Medicine and Surgery for a range of complex consulting engagements. Elite Medical Experts is mission-critical to:

Corporate Consulting Occupational Health Special Projects Product Development Legislative Issues FDA Navigation Television, Film, Print News, and Other Media

FTC Rules and Regulations Lobbying Intellectual Property Focus Groups and Due Diligence Keynote Addresses, Endorsements Executive Search for Strategic Advisors, Directors, and Board Members Device & Drug Insight for Hedge Funds and Private Equity

To learn how you can align with nationally recognized thought leaders from myriad areas of expertise, call Elite today and ask for our Director of Complex Consulting:

Dr. Burton Bentley II, M.D., FAAEM
CEO, Elite Medical Experts, LLC.

View Elite Medical Experts' Expert Witness Profile.

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. 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, IA, IL, PA, GA, FL 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
• Workplace Violence

EXPERTISE IN: 1. The pathobiology, clinico-pathologic correlation, and histopathologic diagnosis of: diseases of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, rectum, anus, liver, and pancreas. 2. Human neoplasms (cancer) and preneoplastic conditions. 3. Establishing standard of care, causation and cause of death. 

BACKGROUND: 

1. Anatomic Pathology Residency: Washington Univ-Barnes Hospital 1991-94.
2. Oncologic Pathology Fellowship: M.D. Anderson Cancer Center 1994-95.
3. Gastrointestinal and Liver Pathology Fellowship: Harvard-Brigham & Womens Hospital 1995-96.
4. Instructor at Harvard Medical School: 1996-1998.
5. Assistant Professor and Director of Gastrointestinal Pathology Division at UT-Health Science Center-Hermann Hospital, Houston Medical Center: 08/1998 - 12/2000.
6. Staff GI Pathologist and Quality Assurance Director at Caris/Miraca Life Sciences, Dallas TX: 01/2001 - 04/2012.
7. Staff Pathologist, Anatomic Pathology Division of the North Shore-LIJ Health System, Long Island NY: 05/2013 - 05/2015.
8. Staff Pathologist, Anatomic Pathology Division of Alliance Health Sciences, Dallas TX: 01/2016 - present.
9. Sole Proprietor of Expert Pathology Consultation Services Laboratory since 01/2001, which provides diagnostic pathology services to hundreds of clinicians of different subspecialties.         

Dr. Torres was instrumental in creating a unique model of Gastrointestinal Pathology subspecialty-focused laboratory, during his tenure at Caris/Miraca Life Sciences.

Neurological Surgery is a medical office in Brandon, Florida, with a highly practiced neurosurgeon who focuses on minimally invasive outpatient surgery. He is a Mayo Clinic-trained neurosurgeon with decades of experience. Larry Fishman, MD, PA, is a Board Certified Neurosurgeon with more than 22 years of experience. Dr. Fishman specializes in minimally invasive surgery, including Carpal Tunnel, Spinal, and Cranial Procedures.

Dr. Fishman provides minimally invasive spine and brain surgery that requires only a small incision. The recuperative time is much less than required with traditional surgical methods, and patients can return to normal activities in a much shorter amount of time. This type of procedure minimizes potential risks of full surgery and maximizes the benefits of an early recovery. Dr. Fishman is a Member of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, the Florida Neurological Society, the American Academy of Neurological Surgeons, the International Association of Minimally Invasive Surgery, and many more.

View Dr. Fishman's Expert Witness Profile.

Wayne H. Grant, PharmD, has been a registered Clinical Pharmacist, in good standing, in the State of Ohio, since 1990. Dr. Grant's current clinical practice targets disease state management in multiple areas, including but not limited to; cardiology, gastrointestinal, geriatrics, nephrology, oncology, psychiatry, and pulmonology. 

Consulting Services - Dr. Grant provides Comprehensive Medication Management services, including a complete review of prescriptions and over-the-counter medications. He is available for direct communication with patients and families. 

Experience - A detailed understanding of pain management is paramount to his current practice. Dosage routes from oral, intravenous, intrathecal, and others, in conjunction with strong opioids and adjuvants, garner much of Dr. Grant’s attention. He has delivered local, state, national and international speaking programs reflective of the fundamental practice of pharmacy. As a peer reviewer for the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, Dr. Grant has provided feedback on articles that will determine future drug therapies. A history of clinical practice, management, and education culminates present-day understanding of the pharmacy profession. 

View Dr. Grant's Profile.

Gregory P. Brown, MD, is a is a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and specializes in the fields of adult Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry. His private office is dedicated to the practice of Forensic Psychiatry, and includes evaluations for matters in civil court, criminal court, family court, and independent psychiatric evaluations.

Dr. Brown is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry, and the Residency Training Program Director at the University of Nevada Las Vegas School of Medicine. He founded the Psychiatry Residency Training Program, and has been the Residency Training Director since the time of the first entering class in 2004, under the UNRSOM.

Litigation Support - Dr. Brown has extensive experience in medico-legal work. As a Board Certified Forensic Psychiatrist, he has worked in diverse areas of this subspecialty of psychiatry. Dr. Brown offers litigations support services to attorneys for Plaintiff and Defendant.

Services include Disability Evaluations, Estate Planning Capacity Evaluations, Independent Psychiatric Evaluations, Medical Board Evaluations, Fitness for Duty Evaluations, Department of Energy Fitness Evaluations, Social Security Appeals Record Reviews, and Independent File Reviews for Medical Necessity and for Disability Claims.

Forensic Experience Includes:

• Criminal Court Evaluations - Competence to Stand Trial, Assessment of Criminal Responsibility, NGRI Assessments
• Civil Court Evaluations - Personal Injury with Psychiatric symptoms, Brain Injury with Psychiatric symptoms, Malpractice related questions
• Family Court Evaluations - Involuntary Commitment, Guardianship, Testamentary Capacity, Undue Influence, Contractual Capacity, Fitness to Parent, Child Custody
• Third Party Forensic Evaluations - Fitness for Duty, Return to Work, Disability, ADA Accommodations, Medical Necessity, Independent Psychiatric Evaluations

Lois Hawkins, RN, CLCP of Hawkins Forensic Consulting, Inc, specializes in Medical and Vocational Damage Assessment in personal injury and catastrophic injury cases throughout the United States. For over 10 years, Ms. Hawkins has been evaluating cases involving children and adults with complex, catastrophic injuries, as well as less serious injuries.

Areas of Expertise:

• Catastrophic Medical Case Management - Traumatic Brain Injury, Acquired Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, Amputation, Soft Tissue Injury, Chronic Pain, Burns, Cerebral Palsy & Developmental Delay, Chronic Respiratory Conditions, Visual & Hearing Impaired
• Life Care Planning - Comprehensive Record Review and supportive documentation / Case Analysis, Case Summary Chronology, Clinical Interview and History with Patient, Medical-Legal Research, Assessment of Future Medical / Rehabilitation Needs
• Legal Nurse Consulting

Professional Memberships and Associations
International Academy of Life Care Planners (IALCP) - Present
International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals (IARP) - Present
American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC) - Past
American Operating Room Nurse (AORN ) - Past