Medical-Forensic Expert Witness
Child abuse expert witness
Independent, literature-grounded pediatric review, for prosecution and defense. These are the cases where overconfidence does the most damage, in either direction. I work the differential, name the mimics, and stay inside what the evidence supports.
What I review in a child abuse case
Pediatric forensic findings demand a worked differential, not a conclusion reached and then defended. I review the records, the imaging, and the literature as a board-certified pediatrician, and I hold the opinion to what the evidence will actually carry.
- Pediatric medical records and growth/medical history
- Imaging reports and specialty consultation records
- Photographs and examination documentation
- Depositions, interviews, and the relevant peer-reviewed literature
Findings, mimics, and the differential
Two failures are common, and they are mirror images. One side calls a finding "diagnostic" when the literature does not support that certainty. The other treats the mere existence of a medical mimic as if it closed the question. Both overstate what the literature supports.
Key limits of pediatric findings
- "Diagnostic of abuse" is often overstated. Few findings carry that level of certainty alone.
- The differential must be worked. Medical mimics are considered and excluded on the evidence, not waved away and not assumed.
- A mimic does not clear the case; a finding does not close it. Both have to be reasoned through.
- Some questions remain debated. In areas such as abusive head trauma, parts of the literature remain debated, and my reports say so where it matters.
- Concern is not proof. A finding that warrants investigation is not the same as a finding that proves a charge.
My role is to give the court a careful, literature-grounded reading, including the parts the science does not settle, so the opinion stays within what the record and the literature support.
Pediatric credentials
I am board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in General Pediatrics (2014) and Adolescent Medicine (2020), a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and completed pediatric residency as chief resident followed by an adolescent medicine fellowship. My forensic training includes the Defense Health Agency Forensic Healthcare Examiner course, Child First forensic interviewing, and pediatric strangulation training through the Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention.
For prosecution and defense
I accept engagements from both the prosecution and the defense, and I apply the same methodology and the same fee structure regardless of retaining party. Details of how an engagement proceeds are available for the prosecution and for the defense.
Common questions
Child abuse expert witness FAQ
Is a single finding ever diagnostic of child abuse?
Claims that a single finding is diagnostic of abuse are often stated too strongly. Many concerning pediatric findings raise genuine concern and also have a medical differential that must be worked through. A mimic on the list does not clear a case, and a concerning finding does not close one.
Do you review cases for the prosecution or the defense?
Both. I apply the same literature-grounded standard for either party, under the same fee structure, and opinions are stated only to the level of certainty the record and the literature support.
Do you handle abusive head trauma (AHT/SBS) cases?
Yes, as a second-opinion review grounded in the current literature, including the areas where that literature remains debated. I present what the evidence supports and state where it does not allow a confident conclusion, for either side.
What materials do you review?
Pediatric medical records, imaging reports, photographs, examination and specialty documentation, depositions and interviews, and the relevant peer-reviewed literature, applied to the specific facts of the case.
Other areas of expertise
Sexual assault & SAFE exams
Interpreting medical-forensic examination findings and their limits.
Strangulation
Non-fatal strangulation: the frequent absence of external findings, and the science.
Intimate partner violence
Patterns of injury: what a finding suggests versus what it proves.
All services & process
Records review, reports, deposition, and testimony, and how an engagement runs.
Contact
Discuss a child abuse case.
Tell me the jurisdiction and the question you need answered. I'll tell you if I'm the right person for it. If I'm not, I'll say so.
info@firstdoknowharm.comInquiries only. Please don't send privileged or protected material until we've confirmed there's no conflict and agreed how to proceed.