Choking Expert Witnesses

San Juan Capistrano, California

Hotel & Restaurant, Slip Trip & Fall - Slip Trip & Fall, OSHA, burns, choking, food safety, dram shop, alcohol, negligent security, employee safety, commercial kitchen, customer injuries, ADA, management, franchise, ownership, permitting, training, investing, accounting, premises liability

Award-winning restaurant executive, operator, consultant, and expert witness with over 45 years of experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry. Extensive background in restaurant operations, hospitality management, franchising, staffing and training systems, operational safety, commercial kitchen design/build, concept development, business viability, and restaurant-related disputes. Over the course of his career, Mr. Coburn has helped create, open, operate, reposition, and advise hundreds of restaurant, bar, hospitality, and foodservice concepts throughout the United States ranging from independent restaurants to regional and national brands. His experience includes service as an owner, operator, franchisor, consultant, President, Chief Operating Officer, and General Manager. Mr. Coburn remains actively involved in restaurant operations and concept development through Restaurant Concept Innovations and current projects including Lily’s Donuts & Pops and Lily’s Donuts & C...

Melbourne, Florida

Speech-Language Pathology, Geriatrics - Dysphagia, Choking, Aspiration Pneumonia, Weight Loss, Dehydration, Malnutriiton, Dementia, Stroke/ CVA, TBI, Developmental Disabilities, Cognitive Impairments, Communication Disorders, Parkinson's Disease, SLP, Neurogenic Disorders, Swallowing Disorders

As a forensic speech-language pathologist with 18 years of experience, I specialize in legal consulting and expert witnessing services for both plaintiff and defense medical malpractice and nursing home neglect cases nationwide. My expertise is in cases involving dysphagia, choking, aspiration, weight loss, dehydration, malnutrition, developmental disabilities, dementia, and neurogenic disorders such as stroke, TBI, and Parkinson’s disease. As a graduate of the University of Florida, I received my BA in communication sciences and disorders and gerontology in 2006, and a MA in speech-language pathology in 2008. I hold additional certifications in dysphagia management and Parkinson's Disease and am a Certified Dementia Provider (CDP). With a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), I am qualified to opine on legal cases nationwide. I’m committed to evidence-based practices and maintaining the standard of care in speech-langua...

Boston, Massachusetts

Speech-Language Pathology, Geriatrics - swallowing, swallowing disorders, dysphagia, oral, pharyngeal, esophageal, oropharyngeal dysphagia, vocal cords, vocal folds, larynx, aspiration, aspiration pneumonia, aspiration precautions, safety, stroke, choke, choking, asphyxiation, hypoxia, anoxia

I am a medical Speech-Language Pathologist and a Board Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders/Dysphagia (BCS-S). I achieved this BCS-S specialty certification in 2012. I have been a certified, licensed and practicing SLP since 1996, with licensure in Massachusetts from 1998 to current. I have enjoyed working as a dysphagia expert witness in litigation since 2016. I have reviewed over 60 cases, equally covering defendants and plaintiffs. I started SwallowStudy & Associates, LLC in January 2024 and now have an associate who is also a board certified specialist in swallowing and swallowing disorders: George Barnes, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S. Please see his listing as well. We both take cases nationally. I have worked with the adult and geriatric populations, specializing in dysphagia evaluation and management in long-term care, rehabilitation centers, and acute care with inpatients and outpatients. I have also been invited to nursing conferences to speak for nursing and ...

Roseville, Minnesota

Long Term Care, Assisted Living - Assisted Living, Long-Term Care, Choking, Dysphagia, Elopement, Falls, Geriatrics, Hospice Care, Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility, Medical Malpractice, Motorized Mobility Scooter Collision, Nursing Homes, Post-Acute Care, Safety, Suicide, Pressure Injury, Pressure Ulcers, Wound Care, Wrongful Death

19+ years practicing Internal Medicine, 13+ years practicing as an attending physician in post-acute care. Expert in long-term care medical and administrative oversight (8 skilled nursing facility medical directorships; 1000+ resident chart reviews for safety and quality control). Expert in assisted living medical and administrative oversight (5 assisted living facility medical directorships; 500+ resident chart reviews for safety and quality control). Expert in hospice medical and administrative oversight (2 hospice agency medical directorships; average daily census 400+ hospice patients, 3 Midwestern states). Five years teaching Internal Medicine residents and nurse practitioners about nursing home and residential care. Medical consultant for one of the largest Catholic Long-Term Care/Senior Living companies in the United States (26 skilled nursing facilities comprising 2,100+ beds, 28 assisted living facilities comprising 2,100+ units, 5 Midwestern states). Holds active medical l...

Maplewood, New Jersey

Speech-Language Pathology, Nursing Homes - swallowing, swallowing disorder, dysphagia, aspiration, pneumonia, choking, asphyxiation, medically complex, frail, elderly, geriatric, physical medicine, rehabilitation, skilled nursing, slp, medical complexity, oral, pharyngeal, esophageal, choke

George Barnes, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, is a Board Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders (BCS-S) providing medical expert witness services for legal cases involving choking and dysphagia. Specializing in nursing home litigation and medical malpractice, he offers clinical authority on the standard of care for high-risk populations. George has been a certified speech-language pathologist (SLP) with the American Speech-Language & Hearing Association (ASHA) since 2013 and is a seven-time recipient of the ASHA ACE award for excellence in continuing education. George maintains an active clinical practice, dedicating over 50% of his time to direct patient care and the performance of instrumental evaluations, including Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) and Modified Barium Swallow Studies (MBSS). This consistent clinical immersion ensures his expert testimony regarding aspiration pneumonia, choking prevention, and medical complexity is rooted in the cont...

Williamsville, New York

Nursing Homes, Geriatrics - Post-acute care, Falls, Wounds, Pressure Sores Ulcers, Restraints, Dehydration, Malnutrition, Nursing Home Infections, UTI, Medication Errors, Dementia, Anti-Psychotics, Long term care, Internal Medicine, Choking, Dysphagia, Assisted Living, Wound Certified, C diff diarrhea, End of life Death

Dr. Snyderman is board-certified in geriatric medicine and internal medicine with 30 years of experience as a physician and Medical Director. Experienced expert witness who has testified in court and depositions for plaintiff and defense. Provides oral and written reports. Experienced in nursing homes, adult care facilities, hospitals and Veterans Administration hospital. Dr. Snyderman is a Certified Medical Director and has directed 7 skilled nursing facilities over the years that are four to five-star rated by CMS and in the highest quintile of New York State rating, with rehabilitation, post-acute care, long-term care and hospice. Dr. Snyderman is experienced with CMS/state surveys as Medical Director and familiar with regulatory requirements and standard of care. Dr. Snyderman is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and certified by the American Board of Post-acute and Long Term Care Medicine and the National Alliance of Wound Care and Ostomy. Dr. Snyderman has Quality...

Scranton, Pennsylvania

Developmental Disabilities, Mental Health - Autism, IDD, Wrongful Death, Abuse and Neglect, Group Homes, Day Programs, Day Habilitation, Adult Day Care Centers, Sheltered Workshops, Insufficient Staffing Levels, Medicaid Waiver Regulations, State Licensing Standards, Choking, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Down Syndrome, Williams Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Behaviors, ABA, PBS

Expert Witness Specializing in Abuse & Neglect Cases and Wrongful Death Cases Involving Individuals with Developmental Disabilities, IDD, Autism and Mental Illness. I have 37 years of experience operating Group Homes and Day Programs/Day Habilitation Treatment Programs/Adult Day Care Centers/Sheltered Workshops and ABA Behavioral Programs for people with Developmental Disabilities, IDD, Autism and Mental Illness. I provide expert testimony about individuals who reside in Group Homes or individuals who attend Day Programs. I have a full understanding of State and Federal Medicaid Waiver regulations that Group Home and Day Program Providers must follow when providing service delivery. I provide expert testimony on Group Home and Day Program Providers not following State and Federal Medicaid Waivers leading directly to Abuse and Neglect and Wrongful Death. I provide expert testimony on Group Home and Day Program Providers being mismanaged and understaffed which lead dir...

Charlottesville, Virginia

Speech-Language Pathology - dysphagia, aphasia, cognitive-linguistic deficits, swallowing, swallowing disorders, stroke, aspiration, aspiration pneumonia, choking, swallow strategies, aspiration precautions, tracheostomy, brain injury, TBI, asphyxia, hospice

Kristine Carlson is an ASHA-certified and Virginia-licensed medical Speech-Language Pathologist currently working in the acute care setting at University of Virginia with over 20 years of experience. Over the course of her career, she has also worked in the skilled nursing, sub-acute, long-term acute care, acute rehab, and outpatient settings with adults 18+ with primary focus on dysphagia, aphasia, cognitive-linguistic disorders, and dysarthria. As an acute care speech-language pathologist in an academic medical center, Kristine conducts comprehensive swallowing evaluations on medically complex patients patients to determine the safety of PO intake while minimizing aspiration risk. She possesses strong clinical decision-making skills with critically ill patients with a myriad of diagnoses including but not limited to lung/heat/lung transplant, stroke, TBI, acute respiratory failure. Her expertise also extends to patients with speech, language, or cognitive deficits. She has wo...

Charlottesville, Virginia

Speech-Language Pathology, Geriatrics - swallowing, dysphagia, choking, feeding, traumatic brain injury, geriatrics, aspiration, tracheostomy, aspiration pneumonia, hospice, stroke, aphasia, intubation, communication, airway, nursing home, rehabilitation, communication, asphyxiation, larynx

Elizabeth Turner is a highly respected and experienced Speech-Language Pathologist with over 16 years of clinical expertise in acute care, critical care, and instrumental swallowing assessment. Currently serving as a Level IV Clinician at the University of Virginia Medical Center, one of the nation's top academic hospitals, Ms. Turner brings unmatched depth in the evaluation and management of complex swallowing, communication, and cognitive-linguistic disorders. Her clinical focus includes extensive work with critically ill populations, including tracheostomized and ventilator-dependent patients, post-extubation dysphagia, head and neck cancer, neurogenic swallowing disorders, and patients recovering from lung transplant and COVID-19-related respiratory failure. Ms. Turner is certified in both MBSImP and FEES, and has completed thousands of instrumental swallow evaluations throughout her career. She also has expertise in aphasia, cognitive-lingusitic deficits, stroke, and brain inj...

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Emergency Medical Services - Emergency Medical Services, EMT, Paramedic, Standard of Care, Prehospital, Inter-facility Transport, Ambulance, Cardiac Arrest, Airway Management, Choking, Spinal Injury Management, Excited Delirium, Patient Restraint, Refusal of Care, Failure to Transport, Patient Safety

* Residency trained and Board Certified in Emergency Medicine (Retired) * Board Certified in Emergency Medical Services * Minnesota State EMS Medical Director 2007 - 2010 * Wisconsin State EMS Medical Director 2006 - 2008 * Chair, National Council of State EMS Medical Directors 2006 - 2008 * EMS Physician Advisory Committee, Wisconsin DHFS 1993 - 2004 * Author of two ECG texts and Medical Advisor to two Emergency Medical Responder textbooks * Editorial Board member Journal of Emergency Medical Services 2007 - 2020 * Medical Director M Health Fairview EMS (St. Paul MN) 2008 - 2020 * Medical Director United Emergency Medical Response (WI) 2007 - Present * Medical Director Ashland Bayfield County (WI) 2006 - 2012 * Medical Director Eau Claire Fire Department (WI) 1994 - 2004 * Assistant Medical Director Janesville Fire Department (WI) 1989 - 1993 My experience in direct oversight of EMS agencies and development of state-wide policies and protocols attests to my ability to evaluate t...