5 Things Criminal Attorneys Should Know About…Gunshot Wounds

I did this series a few years ago and I think it’s time to do a little refresher. For the next few months I’ll post “5 things criminal attorneys should know about …” and highlight some areas of medicine that often cross into the criminal fields. This is not meant to be an in-depth review, Read More...

5 Things Criminal Attorneys Should Know About…Seizures

For the next few months I’ll post “5 things criminal attorneys should know about …” and highlight some areas of medicine that often cross into the criminal fields. I did this series a few years ago and I think it’s time to do a little refresher. This is not meant to be an in-depth review, Read More...

Benzodiazepines “Downers” {Mental Health/Toxicology}

Benzodiazepines, or “Benzos” are a class of drug that commonly pop up in the criminal cases that we review. These sedative “Downers” are commonly prescribed for a variety of maladies; knowledge about the side effects and normal levels is beneficial when they are a major, or even minor, component of a criminal case. Benzodiazepines affect Read More...

Is it Neglect or Failure to Thrive? {Child/Elder Abuse}

Neglect is not a straightforward issue in medicine or law. A review of the records by a forensic medical expert may be beneficial in determining if there are underlying issues that are contributing to the child’s health status. In our practice we are most often called in on physical neglect cases to review and determine Read More...

Can someone consent after a head injury? {Mental Health/Toxicology}

Many times, a police officer will interview a defendant after a fight or a car wreck where the person being interviewed has suffered head trauma. What the police officer may not understand is that even mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) can affect a person’s ability to comprehend the questions being asked and the ramifications of Read More...

When does in-home caregiving turn into Elder Abuse/Neglect?

In many criminal cases, Adult Protective Services and the police are called because a patient arrives at the hospital with multiple and severe wounds called pressure ulcers. They often are septic because the wounds have gotten infected and in the elderly it leads to an altered mental state very rapidly. This leads to an investigation Read More...

Two Black Eyes But He Swears He Didn’t Hit Her {Assault/Trauma}

Two Black Eyes, also known as Raccoon’s eyes, is a sign of a skull fracture and does not necessarily indicate blunt force trauma to the face. Because this type of skull fracture is often missed on radiology studies, a medical expert is needed to review the records and determine the cause of the bruising.   Read More...

Is the Defendant Drunk or Concussed? {DUI/Gen Med}

If a person who is charged with a DUI and has a concussion, a review of the medical records by an expert can determine if the defendant has either: Concussion overview Concussion is a form of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) in which the brain is impacted sufficiently to result in neurological symptoms but not Read More...