Professional Malpractice (General) Expert Witnesses: 143

Expert Witness: Retained in Washington, D.C., and over 25 states as an expert in hospital administration who could render opinion after assessing medical records, hospital policies and procedures, medical staff bylaws and regulations, JCAHO standards, depositions, etc. Served as Expert Witness for Plaintiff and Defense. 

Consultant: Has assisted hospitals and health systems with accelerating their performance improvement efforts. Speaks, writes and consults on ethical issues in health care. 

Background Highlights:

• Consultant, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the health system.
• Executive Director of two academic medical centers: Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, Stanford University Hospital and Clinics at Stanford.
• Past chairman of the national advisory board for the University of Chicago’s Center for Clinical Medical Ethics.
• An author of over 175 publications, he has written articles for USA Today, Health Management Quarterly, Trustee, Health Progress, the Journal of Health Administration Education, Frontiers of Health Services Management, Bioethics Forum, Modern Healthcare, the Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, Stanford Medicine, and Healthcare Executive among others.
• Co-editor of Management Mistakes in Healthcare: Identification, Correction, and Prevention, published by Cambridge University Press in 2005.
• Co-editor of Managing Ethically: An Executive's Guide, published by Health Administration Press in 2001, and a second edition, Managing Healthcare Ethically: An Executive's Guide was published in 2010.
• Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a past member of its Leadership Advisory Committee, and a consultant on health care management ethics since 1994.
• Served as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Stanford University’s Center for Biomedical Ethics.
• Recipient of American Hospital Association's Award of Honor in 2009 and an Albert Schweitzer Leadership Award in 2012.
• Faculty appointments held at Harvard, UCLA, Stanford, Emory, the University of California, and Seton Hall University.
• Bachelor of Science, Master of Public Health, and Doctor of Public Health degrees are from the University of California, Berkeley.

Erik B. Hysinger, MD, MSCE, is a board certified Pediatrician and Pediatric Pulmonologist and Associate Professor in the Division of Pulmonary Medicine at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (ranked #1 by US News) with more than 10 years of clinical experience in Pediatrics.

Litigation Support - Dr. Hysinger has been participating in medical litigation for the past five years, working with both plaintiffs and defendants. His services include medical record review, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Background Experience - Dr. Hysinger completed his undergraduate degree at Vanderbilt University where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and remained at Vanderbilt for medical school and Pediatrics training.  Following residency, Dr. Hysinger completed his Pediatric Pulmonology training at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia where he also obtained a Master's of Clinical Epidemiology from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Hysinger joined the faculty at Cincinnati Children's Hospital in 2016 where he founded and serves as the Co-Director of the Cincinnati Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Center and spends approximately 75% of his time in direct patient care.  In addition to his clinical work, he is also very active in clinical research and has published widely in multiple high impact journals such as The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine and Chest, among many others, with over 50 publications.  Dr. Hysinger has lectured on his research and clinical work nationally and internationally, hosted national and international conferences and courses,  and is funded by the National Institute of Health and Patient Centered Outcome Research Institute.

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:

Jason C. Goodwin, MS, MPH, RN, CNOR, is a highly skilled and decorated Veteran Nurse Corps Lieutenant, honorably discharged in 2006. As a Registered Nurse, Operating Room Manager, Director, and Administrator, he has extensive experience with regulatory mandates, expertise in national clinical standards, and ensuring best practices in procedural safety culture.

As a procedural department administrator and clinician, Mr. Goodwin has personally supervised the safe care in and around various procedures and operating room venues for 17 years, totaling approximately 300,000 individual patient encounters. An expert with quality and safety compliance regulation, he has successfully prepared teams for Joint Commission, AAAHC, Medicare, Inspector General, and State audits.  Mr. Goodwin has experience managing as many as 20 managers, 4 Lean/Six Sigma process-improvement personnel, 500 total employees, and $1.8 Billion in annual gross revenue.

Litigation Support - Mr. Goodwin provides expert witness services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant. He has been retained in approximately 30 cases. His services include medical record review, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed. 

Areas of Expertise:

C. Matthew Curtin, CISSP  Founder and CEO of Interhack is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional. An Expert in Computers and Information Technology, Mr. Curtin and his team at Interhack help attorneys and executives use data and computer technology in high-stakes situations. 

Mr. Curtin's work has been at the cutting edge of the intersection of law and technology. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit relied on Interhack's forensic computing practice and Mr. Curtin's expert opinion when it established standards for application of Federal wiretap statutes to Web technology, In re Pharmatrak Privacy Litigation (see link above). 

Academic references to their work include the Stanford Law Review and university courses throughout the world. Mr. Curtin maintains a regular academic appointment as a Senior Lecturer at The Ohio State University's Department of Computer Science and Engineering. He currently chairs the Recruitment subcommittee of the Business Advisory Network that advises the Ohio Department of Education's standards for technology education in secondary and postsecondary schools throughout the state. 

C. Matthew Curtin's services are available for plaintiffs, defendants, and for the courts directly on technical matters. 

Areas of Forensic Expertise:

• Electronic Discovery
• Preservation and Forensic Analysis of Data
• Complex Analysis of Non-Standard Data Sets
• Investigations
• Data Breaches

View Mr. Curtin's Consulting Profile.

Mitch Jackson is a master communicator, lawyer and private mediator with over three decades of experience in the private sector. He's personally tried more than 70 trials and has a consistent track record of obtaining and negotiating numerous million-dollar verdicts and settlements, Mitch brings a massive amount of expertise to every case and matter he handles. He's served as a Judge Pro Tem with the Orange County Superior Court and fees mediator with the Orange County Bar Association.

Mitch’s accolades speak volumes: he’s an “AV” rated lawyer, the highest independent peer honor for ability and ethics by Martindale-Hubbell. He’s also been named California Litigation Lawyer of the Year in 2013 and Orange County Trial Lawyer of the Year in 2009.

When he's not in the courtroom or successfully mediating a resolution to a dispute, Mitch is on the move—traveling, speaking at conferences, and sharing insights through his blog and books. He’s written and co-written several notable works, including:

"AI in Law- Revolutionizing Your Legal Practice with Innovative Strategies and Tools" (click to read)

"Mastering The Art of Negotiation- Insider Secrets for Business Owners, Entrepreneurs, and Professionals"

"The Mediator's Handbook: Turning Conflict into Collaboration"

"From Courtroom to Boardroom: A Trial Lawyer's Guide to Winning Negotiations!"

"How to Create AI, Web3, and Metaverse Branding and Licensing Opportunities"

"The Web3, Metaverse, and AI Handbook"

"From AI to Blockchain: 14 Technology Trends Every Lawyer Must Know!"

"The Ultimate Guide to Social Media for Business Owners, Professionals, and Entrepreneurs"

Mitch’s influence extends beyond the legal field. He’s twice graced the stage at the Tony Robbins Business Mastery Event, captivating audiences of thousands. As a consulting expert in Sue Scheff’s "Shame Nation" and a contributing author to California’s Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB) in "Effective Introduction of Evidence in California - Chapter 54 Electronic and Social Media Evidence," Mitch is a sought-after thought leader.

Stay connected with Mitch on Linkedin and explore more of his work at his blog mitchjackson.com

James Apesos, MD, FACS, is Board Certified in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, General Surgery, and Hand Surgery, allowing him to deal with most any and all potential medical malpractice situations.

Dr. Apesos has decades of experience operating a busy private plastic surgery practice, training surgeons, managing emergency rooms, and hospital facilities. He has a wide experience dealing with both pediatric and adult surgery from congenital to reconstructive to cosmetic.

Education / Training:

• University of Pennsylvania, BS 
• Georgetown University School of Medicine, MD
• Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, General Surgery Chief Resident
• University of Virginia School of Medicine Chief Resident Plastic Surgery
• Certified Ohio State Police Officer 
• Certified Ohio State Firefighter

Litigation Support - Dr. Apesos is an expert witness for Medical Malpractice cases involving Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, including all cosmetic surgery, pediatric surgery, hand surgery, burn surgery, breast surgery, and cancer surgery. He has special skill in complications of surgery and post-surgery deaths.

Dr. Apesos has been providing services to the legal community for 30 years. He has been retained in 30 cases and been deposed over 25 times. A punctual strategist, he is adept at quickly assessing legal cases, cutting through medical jargon, and determining the merits of each case. Dr. Apesos' services include medical record review, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed for both plaintiff and defendant.

Areas of Expertise:

James H. Reich, MD, MPH, is a board-certified Forensic Psychiatrist with extensive civil psychiatry experience who has done hundreds of evaluations.

After getting his MD from the University of Colorado Medical Center in Denver, Dr. Reich earned his MPH at Yale University and did his psychiatric residency at UC Davis. Dr. Reich has held academic positions at Yale, Iowa, Harvard, and Brown Universities.  Currently, he has teaching appointments at the professor level at both UCSF and Stanford University. Throughout his career, he has published over a hundred peer-reviewed publications. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Reich’s services are available for civil and some criminal law cases. Clients are assured of his personal dedication to each case. He does high quality research, expert evaluations, writes a solid report, and will testify well. Dr. Reich has been deposed over 50 times.

Areas of Expertise:

Presentations - As faculty at the Stanford Forensic Fellowship program, Dr. Reich has given two talks to the group. On October 27, 2023, he presented, "What Gets Psychiatrists and other Medical Professionals into Problems with the Law or Regulators." On January 19, 2024, he presented a talk on Psychiatric Disability to the same group. Dr. Reich is also supervising a fellow on his project on competency issues in older physicians.

Dr. Jane K. McNaught, PhD is a locally and nationally recognized Forensic Psychological Expert specializing in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with adults and children. Over the course of her more than 35 years of practice, she has worked with both Defense and Plaintiff attorneys and has also been a Court appointed expert.

Dr. McNaught has administered more than 1700 psychological test batteries and testified on over 500 occasions as a forensic expert in the areas of: Civil, Criminal, and Family Law. She also provides trial consultation for attorneys. Dr. McNaught has  been qualified and testified as an expert in PTSD, for both the U.S. Army as well as the U.S. Navy. In addition she has testified as an expert in both District and Federal court. Dr. McNaught practices in the areas of Civil, Criminal, and Family Law cases involving trauma to both adults and children.

In the Civil area, Dr. McNaught is frequently hired as an expert when there are allegations of Emotional Damages involving Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Dr. McNaught has been hired in cases of alleged sexual misconduct within institutional settings such as: Schools, Churches, Treatment Centers, Hospitals, Residential Centers for the Handicapped, Jails and other Police alleged violations.

The following are cases where Dr. McNaugth has been an expert:  PTSD cases involving veterans;  injuries related to Motor Vehicle Injuries/Death; Dog Bite; Amputation; Burns; and Electrocution. Dr. McNaught has also been an expert in  Medical Malpractice Cases,Wrongful Death, and Infant Death cases. Employment Law Experience in cases  involving Age or Sexual Harassment where PTSD is alleged. 

In the Criminal area, Dr. McNaught is hired by both the Prosecution as well as Defense in cases involving Sexual Misconduct. She also conducts evaluations of Defendants in criminal cases where Underlying Psychological Conditions may impact sentencing. She has also  been obtained as an expert to evaluate the reliability of statements obtained from alleged victims of sexual assault. When doing so, Dr. McNaught addresses the following: Recantation, Memory Research, and the Standard of Care for Interviewing Victims of Sexual Assault. 

In the area of Family Law, Dr. McNaught specializes in High Conflict Divorce and and provides consultation in issues related to:  Relocation; Endangerment; Factitious Disorder by Proxy; Parental Capacity; and Parental Alienation. Dr. McNaught is also frequently obtained as an expert to critique other evaluator's reports.

View Dr. McNaught's Consulting Profile.

EJ Janik, CPA, CFF, CFE is a Certified Public Accountant with 40 years of professional experience. He specializes in financial audits, compilations and reviews, consulting for commercial litigation, antitrust matters, engineering and construction matters, real estate, and bankruptcy / business reorganizations matters. Mr. Janik holds a Master of Science in Accounting from Louisiana State University and a Bachelor of Commerce from Rice University. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Janik has provided over 150 financial audits and consulted in over 785 business disputes. He has provided expert testimony in over 88 matters including trial testimony in 58 trials or hearings in 8 states. Mr. Janik's accounting services include Damages/Lost Profit analysis, Forensic Accounting, Fraud Investigations, Fact Finding, Financial Analysis, and Expert Witness Testimony when necessary. Litigation Experience:

Mr. Janik is also uniquely qualified to measure construction claims and damages. With over 11 years of construction experience, he has accumulated over 13,000 Engineering and Construction (E&C) auditing hours, 10,000 E&C consulting hours, and 15,000 E&C supervised hours. Construction Claims Services include:

View EJ Janik's Consulting Profile.

As of January 2024: I have been deposed over 150 times and reviewed over 1,000 cases for both defense and plaintiff, including peer review, accidents, and malpractice. 52% defense / 48% plaintiff. I have qualified in Superior Court over 75 times and have never been disqualified on the stand or prior to trial. At least 95% of my time is spent in patient care. 

I can be counted on to be ethical, competent, prepared, analytical, articulate, and persuasive at depositions and court appearances. As of February 2024, there are over 297 published articles, write-ups and lectures in print, radio, and TV. (http://www.expertwitness.dental/)

 I hold two current professorships: UCLA School of Dentistry (Volunteer) & NYU College of Dentistry. Licensed in 42 states to opine on the standard of care, with specific licenses in California, Nevada, New Mexico, and the Northeast as well as a Florida Expert Certification. Graduated NYU 1988; GPR Residency NYU 1989, Lieutenant, United States Navy 1989- 1991; private practice Brentwood, CA since 1991 – serving over 15,000 patients on a fee-for-service basis.

Founder of the non-profit “Homeless Not Toothless” (www.homelessnottoothless.org), which has made it possible for over 124,000 homeless Veterans, women of domestic abuse and foster children to receive over $10 million in pro-bono dental care. 

Member: 

American Academy of Cosmetic Orthodontics: 2013-present, American Dental Association (ADA) since 1991 

Peer Review Committee ADA 1995-2009, 

American Legion 2018 - present

Medical Disciplinary Committee Delta Dental 2000-present; Veteran Administration QME Examiner 2019-present

Jay Hibert was in the Commercial Banking Industry for over 25 years before leaving to form his own company, a real estate lending and consulting company. The company provides services to banks, non-banks, and individuals in need of creative financing solutions.  Still an ACTIVE lender in the industry, Jay stays updated on current customs and practices and has transacted hundreds of real estate and non-real estate loan negotiations in times of economic growth as well as downturns in the economy. His extensive credit background arms him with the understanding of how banks and other lenders operate internally.  

Litigation Experience - Mr. Hibert has been providing expert witness and consulting services since 2010. He has been designated over 250 times as an expert in 25 different states concerning matters relating to commercial lending, real estate, construction finance, SBA loans, brokerage, hard money loan expert and investment issues. His experience includes both Federal and State court cases where he has provided deposition testimony, trial testimony and arbitration testimony. 

Jay is a licensed Real Estate Broker (Cal DRE #01523) and for 10 years his company was a California Finance Lender and Broker through the California Department of Business Oversight. He is experienced in trial and deposition testimony and his services are available to counsel representing both Plaintiff and Defense. 

Key areas of expertise in litigation work include:

• SBA Real Estate Loans
• Hard Money Loans
• Lending Policies, Custom and Practice/Lender Liability
• Broker Standards of Care and Fiduciary Responsibility
• Loan Underwriting and Credit Administration
• Loan Process and Bank Loan Restructure/Workout Process
• Note Valuations/Collateral Review
• Litigation and Discovery Consulting
• Banking Operations/Administration
• Expert reports adherent to Federal Rule 26
• Hard Money Lending
• SBA Lending
• Loan Syndication/Secondary Market Loan Sales
• Title Insurance Cases
• Private Money Lending
• Predatory Lending
• Financial Elder Abuse
• Covid Related Finance Issues

*****Experienced in trial and deposition testimony*****

View Jay Hibert's Consulting Profile.

Jeffrey A. Sugar, MD has been a practicing Psychiatrist for over 20 years. Dr. Sugar is board certified both in Child and General Psychiatry. He is Past President of the Southern California Society of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Dr. Sugar  is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at USC, and has been an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA. Dr. Sugar is the Director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Trauma Program at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles, CA where he sees patients, teaches psychiatry, and performs research. He is Attending Psychiatrist in both Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Adult Psychiatry Outpatient Clinics at USC. He teaches child and general psychiatrists-in-training and medical students on topics ranging from Trauma, Adversity, and Dissociation to Psychotherapy theory and methods.

Dr. Sugar was the founding director of the Hathaway Children’s Clinical Research Institute where he performed funded research on the effects of interpersonal child trauma. Dr. Sugar has presented at national and international meetings on child and adolescent Trauma and Dissociation. Director, Child Psychiatry Trauma Program at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine .. Dr. Sugar has been worked with the legal industry since 1988. Qualified in Superior court, he has been retained over 40 times as an expert in a broad range of child and general psychiatric cases, for both Plaintiff and Defense. His services include:

• Consultation Regarding Psychiatric Injury, Diagnosis, Treatment
• Record Review and Opinion
• Psychiatric Interview and Mental Status Evaluation
• Expert testimony

Dr. Sugar's litigation support is available to attorneys for both Plaintiff and Defense. His Areas of Expertise include:

Professional Training:

• MD: University of California, San Francisco
• General Psychiatry: Harbor-UCLA, Torrance, California
• Child Psychiatry: UCLA-Neuropsychiatric Institute
• Chief Fellow: UCLA

View Dr. Sugar's Consulting Profile.

Joseph W. Burke, MD, board certified, actively participating Diagnostic Radiologist with over 18 years of experience. Dr. Burke has practiced for the last 16 years at Reading Health system which has one of the busiest Emergency Departments on the East Coast and is a Level 2 Trauma Center.

Dr. Burke is a frequent presenter at weekly Tumor, Trauma, Thoracic, and Gastrointestinal Conferences. He served as Chief of the Ultrasound department for several years and currently sits on his group Board of Directors. He offers teaching services, educating radiology technology students, medical students, and residents.

Litigation Support - Dr. Burke provided Medical-Legal forensic case review for attorneys in numerous cases. He has extensive experience in the interpretation of Neurologic and Body Imaging studies and has read in excess of 250,000 images including MRIs, X-Rays, CT Scans, and ultrasounds. Dr. Burke's services are available to counsel representing plaintiff and defendant and include medical record review, written reports, deposition, arbitration, and trial testimony as needed.

Radiology and Diagnostic Radiology Areas of Expertise:

Current Memberships and Affiliations:

• American Medical Association
• Pennsylvania Medical Society
• American College of Radiology
• Radiological Society of North America
• Eastern Radiological Society
• Pennsylvania Radiological Society

Carl H. Josephson, PE, SE and Dan R. Werdowatz PE, SE are licensed in 30 states and have over 44 years and 39 years of Structural Engineering experience respectively. They are active and have served in leadership roles in numerous local, state, and national professional structural engineering societies.  They have testified in deposition, trial, and arbitration in over 500 matters throughout the United States and abroad. 

Messrs. Josephson and Werdowatz and their team provide structural assessment and evaluation on a wide variety of matters including construction defects, insurance claims, professional liability claims, standard of care analyses, among others.  Work involves a wide variety of materials and may include vertical, seismic, and wind design and analysis; code review; and construction evaluation.  JW&A is highly experienced in foundations, underpinning, tie-backs, retaining walls, and various geotechnical structures.  JW&A has extensive graphics and animation capabilities in order to make difficult engineering concepts understandable to lay people.  

Litigation Support - JW&A has been retained as structural engineering experts by plaintiff, defense, and cross-defendant clients on over 1,500 matters across the United States and abroad. Designated as experts for homeowner associations, developers, and subcontractor cross-defendants, they strive to provide balanced, well-reasoned and practical solutions to construction litigation problems. They have also been retained as court-appointed neutral experts on several cases.

SE Licenses: CA, AZ, HI, NV, UT, WA, IL, MA, LA, OR
PE Licenses: CO, CT, FL, ID, IN, KS, KY, MD, MI, MO, MS, NM, NY, NJ, ND, OH, SC, TX, WV, WI

Areas of Expertise:

Josephson-Werdowatz & Associates, Inc. Office Locations:

View Josephson Werdowatz & Associates' Consulting Profile.