Infectious Disease Expert Witnesses
The insight you need on cases involving communicable illnesses
An infectious disease, also known as a communicable, contagious, or transmissible disease, is an illness caused by a pathogen that can be spread from person to person. Infectious pathogens include bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, and parasites. The means of transmission may be physical contact, contaminated food, body fluids, airborne inhalation, or a vector organism (such as a mosquito).
Infectious disease specialists, or ID specialists, in the United States must complete a residency in internal medicine followed by a fellowship in infectious diseases. The fellowship includes specialized training in preventing, diagnosing, and treating infectious diseases. Board Certification in infectious disease is handled by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM).
ID specialists are involved in the diagnosis and treatment of numerous serious diseases, including post-surgical infections, bone and joint infections, central nervous system infections, pulmonary (lung) infections, food poisoning, tuberculosis, meningitis, and HIV/AIDS.
The role of an ID physician as an expert witness
Infectious disease physicians can be key expert witnesses in cases involving diagnosing and treating infectious diseases. Among the types of matters an ID specialist may testify about are:
- Causation: how was the infectious disease spread to the patient?
- Diagnosis: could the infectious disease have been diagnosed sooner, and if so, would the patient have had a better outcome?
- Treatment: did the treating physician follow best practices in treating an infectious disease, such as prescribing antibiotics?
- Infection control: did the hospital or medical facility follow proper infection control protocols to minimize the risk to patients?
ID specialists are frequently called upon to act as expert witnesses in medical malpractice cases involving post-surgical and hospital-acquired infections, including MRSA. They may also testify in birth injury cases that include infections spreading to the newborn, causing complications such as meningitis and brain damage.
Find the infectious disease expert you need
Whether you’re dealing with a medical malpractice, birth injury, or nursing home negligence matter involving an infectious disease, the right expert witness can make all the difference in the outcome. Our Board-Certified infectious disease experts are experienced, highly credentialed, and prepared to offer objective testimony in search of the truth. Contact us today for a free case summary review.