Strong clinical credentials are the price of admission to expert witness work, not a guarantee you’ll do it well. In Episode 14, Dr. Brian Woodruff welcomes back Dr. Amy Fogelman, primary care physician and founder of High Rock Experts, to unpack the clinical mistakes that quietly damage cases and reputations.
The conversation moves through three pitfalls that catch new and experienced experts alike: assuming clinical expertise alone is enough (without command of standard of care, causation, and the “more likely than not” standard), violating your lane by accepting cases outside your current practice, and slipping from educator into advocate. Along the way, Dr. Fogelman and Dr. Woodruff dig into state-by-state variation in legal standards, the deposition answer framework that keeps experts out of trouble, and why credibility is the real currency of this work.
They close with a look at where AI fits, including a recent case in which a defendant waived the attorney-client privilege by using ChatGPT and what the technology might responsibly do for experts down the road.
Whether you’re new to expert work or have a few hundred depositions behind you, this episode is a sharp reminder that the clinical side isn’t the easy part.
To learn more about Brian Woodruff, go to his personal website, Child Neurology Expert.
