Practice Areas
Criminal Law
Over 10 Years Of Experience Supporting Criminal Attorneys
Godoy Medical Forensics' Experts Have Experience In The Following Areas:
- Strangulation
- Assault
- Sexual Assault
- Homicide
- Child Abuse
- Toxicology
- DUI/DWI
- Workman's Comp/Insurance
- Elder Abuse
- Mitigation
Our experts in strangulation offer testimony that is focused on educating the court on what the physical signs of strangulation are or could be and what symptoms indicate hypoxia (low blood oxygen). The risk of lethality in strangulation cases is related to the level of hypoxia that was reached. Identifying what can be subtle symptoms of hypoxia in these cases can be critical. For more information about what services we can offer on these cases, click here.
For more general information on strangulation, click here.
In attempted murder, assault, and domestic violence cases, the focus is often on Great Bodily Injury or Significant Bodily Injury enhancements. Our experts will review the injuries in the case to first ensure that they were caused the way the allegations state and also help the attorney assess the severity of the injury, the required treatments, and any expected complications. Photographs may be used to differentiate sharp trauma from blunt force trauma; help with the identification of patterned injuries; and clarify the timeline of injury. Our reports will provide opinions on causation and/or mechanism.
We are often asked to review cases related to bruising, abrasions, and other soft tissue trauma. Our nurses are experts in these areas and able to provide opinions related to the age of the injuries, patterned injuries, and whether the injuries are consistent with the allegations. For more general information on bruising and dating of bruising, click here.
For more information about what services we can offer on these cases, click here.
Need an expert? We have staff that responds in one business day.
Sexual assault/rape cases are common cases where a medical expert is needed to help determine if the allegations coincide with the findings of the sexual assault nurse’s examination. We have nurses specifically trained and experienced in sexual assault exams ready to help you evaluate and develop your case.
Our nurses have gone through continuing education in the areas of forensic pathology, which enables them to review autopsy reports and translate them for the attorney. We can help assess if there were medical conditions that contributed to the death of the victim. We can help sort out the traumatic injuries and explain them to the attorney. For more information about what services we can offer on these cases, click here.
Child Abuse – Abusive Head Trauma
Abusive Head Trauma is one of our areas of expertise. We generally have at least one of these cases going through our office on any given day. Non-accidental trauma cases involving retinal hemorrhages, intracranial bleeding, and cerebral edema are complex and involve several specialty areas of medicine. Our experts will review the medical records and help determine what kinds of experts may be needed. We will assess for mimics, determine the timeline of injury, and provide opinions about causation.
Child Abuse – General
Bruises and breaks are the common thread in these cases. Our nurses will review the case for medical causes such as rickets (vitamin D deficiency that weakens bones), Osteogenesis Imperfecta (Brittle bone disease), and coagulopathies (blood disorders). We will also assess the injuries to analyze the timeline. If medical abuse or Munchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy is suspected, we can help assess the child’s medical conditions to analyze what is true or fictitious. You will be ready for trial with the right types of child abuse experts and a strong knowledge of the medical components of your case. For more information about what services we can offer on these cases, click here.
Child Neglect and Failure to Thrive
In neglect cases it is particularly important to have an expert that has experience reviewing the records to look for underlying conditions that may have contributed to the failure to thrive. If the child has medical conditions it can make it difficult to determine the reason for the lack of weight gain and growth. There are also congenital conditions that may not have been ruled out effectively. Knowing the cause of the patient’s failure to thrive or wasting is essential for effective case development. We can help you sort through the records and find the right child abuse expert witnesses for defense or prosecution testimony. For more information about what services we can offer on these cases, click here.
We can review the toxicology components of any case to help the attorney understand what the normal signs and symptoms are, what supports intoxication in the medical records (even if a tox screen wasn’t done) and whether the drugs interact with anything else, such as medications administered in the hospital.
Our nurses have reviewed cases to determine if consent was given under the influence of medically administered drugs. We have also looked at child abuse/neglect cases that involve ingestion of prescription and non-prescription drugs. We have testified regarding the effects of medications and drugs on the body and mental status.
Our toxicologist can opine regarding the quantitative levels of the lab results, expected symptoms or level of intoxication. He has reviewed cases involving DUI/DWI, possession, homicide and many others. He is also an expert on the breathalyzer/PAS machines and DRE testing.
Ready to get started? For more information about what services we can offer on these cases, click here.
DUI cases can have several different focuses for us. As a DUI/DWI expert, we may be reviewing the defendant’s records for past medical history, prescription medications and interactions, their own injuries to determine if they were driver or passenger, or physical ability to perform the Field Sobriety Tests. We may be looking at the victim’s injuries to assess great or significant bodily injury and to be sure the injuries they are claiming came from the accident. We also may be looking at the mechanism of injury to see if it matches what the witnesses say.
Medically Accepted Blood Draws and General DUI Case Analysis
We also have testified regarding Medically Accepted Blood Draws and reviewed documentation, video, or other discovery to determine if the blood drawn was done following an accepted medical practice. Contact us today to learn more about how Godoy Medical Forensics can assist with your drunk driving case analysis or provide DUI expert witness services if needed. For more information about what services we can offer on these cases, click here.
The patient is often accused of falsifying injuries for extended periods of time when workman’s comp cases reach a criminal level. This often means voluminous medical records and other discoveries. In addition, there are typically records and documentation from private investigators, showing the defendant performing activities that are considered beyond his level of disability. We can help sort through the medical records to find the pertinent tests and examinations as well as assess whether the defendant should or should not have been able to play basketball, run a mile, go skiing, play in a band, mow their lawn or whatever it is they were doing that they seemingly shouldn’t have. We also have a great orthopedic surgeon who works with us on these cases, so when they go to trial, we have your expert all lined up. For more information about what services we can offer in these cases, click here.
Elder abuse or neglect cases can be civil or criminal. In either one, the case may be relate to pressure ulcers and failure to turn the patient to prevent these wounds. In criminal cases, elder abuse is often from residences where a family member or caregiver is charged with abuse or neglect. We can help sort through the medical records in these cases and determine how/if the victim’s medical conditions contributed to their condition. For example, in neglect and wasting, the victim may have conditions that prevent them from eating or absorbing nutrients.
Other criminal cases may be related to physical trauma, and there are many conditions and medications that cause the elderly to bruise or fracture easily. We can assess skin integrity to determine susceptibility to skin tears as well. For more information about what services we can offer in these cases, click here.
We are frequently asked to review the medical records of the defendant for mitigation and sentencing purposes. We are able to write reports that explain the medical conditions and the effects that the conditions will have on the functional level of the defendant, including their activities of daily living such as mobility, bathing, and eating. We will discuss the prognosis or life expectancy; and the anticipated complications and future needs. These reports often serve to aid the judge in understanding the complexities of the medical conditions and give a picture of what the life of the defendant will look like in prison. For more information about what services we can offer on these cases, click here.
My first criminal case literally dropped in my lap. I was subpoenaed for a patient I had taken care of at Stanford University Medical Center and ended up getting a different case with that same defense attorney. The case had 1200 pages of medical records and the attorney was at a loss trying to sort through them all. Hiring a doctor was expensive and he didn’t think he really needed someone to testify, he just needed someone to help him understand how the injuries occurred. I reviewed the records and was able to help him understand that the medical records didn’t support attempted murder for his client. That defense attorney literally jump started my consulting business.
