“What symptoms of Heroin withdrawal would affect the defendant’s ability to form intent?” Heroin use is a common thread within the criminal system and can become relevant in cases where the defendant’s ability to form…
I am often called to testify in assault cases in which great bodily injury is an enhancement. In these cases I try to determine the severity of the injury based off of the medical records…
I just got back from the DUI Defense Lawyers Association’s Mile High Summer Seminar 2016 in Denver where I presented on Medically Acceptable Blood Draws. The case law for this issue is from Cuevas and…
The last thing I want to cover is abbreviations. Reading a doctor’s handwriting alone is hard enough, and it is so much harder if it’s filled with unknown abbreviations. It is literally impossible to understand…
For more information on the hospital course, other documents to look for include: Operative reports: These are generated if the patient undergoes any surgeries, and a separate report will be generated for each operation. Look…
When performing a medical records review, if you’re looking for a list of injuries, as you commonly are in criminal law, you will look at the emergency department (ED or ER) reports and/or the ambulance…
If you’re looking for the “story” of how the patient entered the hospital and what happened while he/she was there, go to the Discharge Summary (Caution: This is different than the Discharge Instructions, which are…
On the day prior to his arrest, Mr. Smith went to see a psychiatrist and was placed on Wellbutrin. The doctor claimed to have considered the interactions of his medications and the hepatotoxic potential, yet…
Studies from 2010 indicate that “Patients with impaired renal or hepatic function may have difficulty clearing or metabolizing opioids and concurrent medications, leading to increased risk of adverse events.” At the time of his arrest,…
The liver is a large organ that is located on the upper right side of the body. It is considered part of the digestive system as it detoxifies the products we ingest, including medications, and…
Mr. Smith had a significant and lengthy medical history that included Hepatitis C, Cirrhosis, ITP, Diabetes, vertigo, peptic ulcer disease, depression, IV Drug abuse (heroin and cocaine), and prescription narcotic addiction. Mr. Smith’s history of…
I have spoken at a number of conferences and seminars this year, as well as some online presentations. April: Medical Record Review for the NDIA conference in San Diego. June: Medical Record Review for Death…
Submit New Case:
Sign Up For:
