When a patient seeking treatment from a provider experiences an unfortunate injury due to the negligence and malpractice of the treating provider, they must carefully determine their next steps.
They have the choice to file a complaint with the clinic and continue treatment, or if the injuries are severe enough, they may choose to file a malpractice lawsuit. If they decide to go the malpractice route, careful consideration and screening must be given to determine what legal counsel is the right fit to represent them with their claim.
The same careful screening process must be followed when the attorney selects an expert to opine on the extent of the malpractice. The attorney may use a listserv to find an appropriate expert, analyze google reviews, or ask a referring colleague for an expert they have used in the past.
Once an attorney has someone in mind, they’ll want to research whether the expert has ever been excluded as an expert or had their report thrown out.
The Frye Test and Daubert Decision, Rule 702, and Rule 26 are the defining standards for admissible scientific evidence in trial for an expert’s testimony and reports. If the criteria and rules of evidence set forth by these rulings are not met, the court may not allow acceptance of your expert to testify on behalf of your client. Make sure you choose your experts wisely to avoid this issue at trial.
Over the course of my career, I have heard many attorneys speak poorly of some experts they have used in the past; not necessarily due to the report that they wrote, but rather that they did not testify well on the stand. An expert’s report is only as good as their ability to defend it to the opposing counsel and win the hearts of the jury.
The effective expert MUST educate the jury on the methodology they used, the conclusions they came to, and how those conclusions affect the livelihood of the client in an easy to understand manner. If this does not happen, the jury may discredit the expert and disregard their report or their testimony which could prove to be catastrophic to the case.
No matter how seasoned the expert is at writing reports or how many years of practice they have under their belts, if they cannot translate the verbiage on the paper to the minds of the jury members, their expertise is ineffective.
Over the last two decades, I have testified for numerous cases both as a treating doctor and an expert in malpractice and personal injury cases. Understanding what evidence is admissible in trial and how to portray that evidence to the jury is imperative. It has become my personal commitment to deliver highly qualified and understandable reports to help effectively educate the jury.
Dr. Poppie has served the legal industry as a treating clinician, damages expert, and educator for over 20 years. He specializes in the evaluation and treatment of multi-trauma injuries related to motor vehicle collisions, standard of care and malpractice claims, and as a damages expert to help educate insurance companies and both plaintiff and defense counsel to provide a viable pathway for obtaining a fair settlement based on ethics, research, and evidence-based standards of care.
Dr. Poppie founded Injury Reporting Consultants to help attorneys and insurance companies resolve personal injury cases through medical analysis and reporting. Injury Reporting Consultants is a collaborative team of dedicated medical professionals using their knowledge to ensure fair outcomes for all parties in personal injury cases.
Recognized specialties include Motor Vehicle Collision, Life Care Planning, Medical Cost Projection, Functional Capacity Evaluation, Onsite Job Analysis, Functional Impairment and Disability, Workplace Injuries, Orthopedic Physical Therapy, Standards of Care, Current Best Practices, Physical Therapy Malpractice, Negligence, File and Medical Record Review, Improper Documentation, Expert Rebuttal Reports, and Expert Testimony.
If you have a client that you would like to discuss their need for an expert report, please contact me directly at 720-982-2000 or email me at: brad@injuryreportingconsultants.com
Sincerely,
Dr. Brad Poppie, DPT, CLCP, CFCE, CSCS
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Certified Life Care Planner
Medical Cost Projection Specialist
Certified Functional Capacity Evaluator
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist