Swallowing Expert Witnesses

Los Angeles, California

Otolaryngology - Hearing loss, Tinnitus, Dizziness, Vertigo, Facial fractures, Nasal fractures, Facial trauma, Loss of smell, Voice problems, Sinus, Neck, Swallowing, Face, Vestibular, Nasal trauma, ENT, Ear Nose and Throat, Vocal cord, Breathing

Dr. Nguyen is a board-certified otolaryngologist / head and neck surgeon; and ear, nose, and throat physician. She obtained her medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and did her residency training at UCLA. She is a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and is an actively-practicing otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon. Dr. Nguyen has published extensively in major, peer-reviewed otolaryngology journals, presented at national meetings, and made appearances on local news channels speaking about otolaryngology health topics. Dr. Nguyen has experience testifying as an expert at trial and deposition.

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 ...

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

For attorneys, navigating clinical files and medical jargon is a bottleneck. George Barnes, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, serves as the expert guide, translating this medical complexity into clear, objective testimony. As a Board-Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders (BCS-S)—a credential held by only 0.2% of speech pathologists—George provides the decisive clinical authority legal teams need to evaluate the standard of care and establish the facts. Unlike academic witnesses whose expertise is disconnected from modern practice, George maintains an active, hands-on clinical presence, dedicating over 50% of his time to direct patient care. He regularly navigates medical complexity and performs high-level instrumental swallowing evaluations. This continuous clinical immersion ensures that his evaluations of aspiration pneumonia and choking incidents are always grounded in the contemporary standard of care, rather than outdated theories. To ensure his testimony is always al...

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...

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...