Medical Expert Witness
Dr. Skandalakis has been in practice 43 years and has been serving as a medical expert for 30 years. He has worked for the plaintiff as well as the defense. He is the author of of the best selling surgical textbook, Surgical Anatomy and Technique published by Springer Verlag.
What is a Medical Expert Witness?
A medical expert is a physician who is able to critically review medical records, and all aspects of a patient’s care to determine whether the standard of care has been met.
“that degree of care, skill and diligence which physicians in the same general neighborhood, and the same line of practice ordinarily possess and exercise in such cases.”
Snyder v. Pantaleo, 143 Conn. 290, 292 (1956)
In addition, the expert should be able to testify as to the causes of injuries, as well as long-term impacts of medical conditions. This service would include the review of all medical documents as well as legal documents, such as depositions and any other documents related to the patient’s care. The medical expert would then be
available to testify on a broad range of issues in a deposition or at trial. The expert should be comfortable reviewing for the plaintiff, as well as the defense. The expert in consultation with an attorney should be able to determine the merits of the case before a lawsuit is filed. The expert will be able to review medical literature, and cite references were appropriate.
Common areas involving medical malpractice might include:
- Misdiagnosis
- Delayed diagnosis
- Failure to diagnose
- Surgical errors or misadventures
- Administrative errors
- Personal injury claims
- Determination cause of death