Episode 24 – What a Trauma Surgeon Learned About Becoming an Expert Witness

What does a life care plan actually contain, and how do the dollar figures get there? In this episode, Dr. Brian Woodruff talks with Dr. Jared H. Griffard, a double board-certified general surgeon and surgical critical care intensivist at UNLV who is also a certified life care planner. A combination so rare that he may be one of the only trauma surgeons in the country doing this work.

Dr. Griffard walks through the anatomy of a life care plan: the medical record chronology, the client interview and examination, projecting future care needs, and how costs are established using national databases like Context4 Healthcare and FAIR Health at the 75th–80th percentile benchmark. He explains the advantage physician life care planners have in standing on their own diagnoses and shares what surprised him most in deposition: that attorneys often spend more time attacking credentials and cost projections than discussing the case itself, and how over-preparing turned that into a win.

Whether you’re an experienced expert or just thinking about your first case, this conversation is packed with practical advice on directories, LinkedIn networking, building attorney relationships, and pushing through the slow early years.

Connect with Dr. Griffard at jhglcp.com or jhg@jhglcp.com.

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To learn more about Brian Woodruff, go to his personal website, Child Neurology Expert.