Medical Monitoring
We have vast experience dealing with medical monitoring issues in litigation. We are fully cognizant of the extensive and often unnecessary requests made by claimant experts. We have the added advantage of having extensive preventive health-related medical monitoring and surveillance programmatic experience in non-litigation settings. We have been involved in many matters where claimants made medical monitoring claims, including:
- asbestos
- cadmium and other heavy metals
- chromium
- lead
- mercury
- pesticides
- silica
- numerous volatile organic compounds
What if any monitoring is required by virtue of the case-specific circumstances?
- Needs assessment: understanding the needs (if any) based upon the specific exposures and the value of any testing.
- Reviewing environmental exposure data or potential exposures and toxicity of the materials;
- Determining whether Monitoring is likely to be of clinical value?
- Does monitoring meet requirements of EVIDENCE-BASED TOXICOLOGY?
- If Monitoring is indicated: Setting up qualified Medical Centers and health professionals for periodic medical evaluations to determine disease or level of exposure, or other outcome indicators, and to establish baseline health status for future reference;
- As indicated, creation of customized protocols and forms for examinee evaluations; Database set up with central storage for security, confidentiality and privacy concerns, along with trending of health status of the individual's or cluster's exposure history
Analysis of Opposing Experts' Monitoring Requests
- Assessing strengths and weaknesses
- Developing approaches to prove deniability of certain requests
- Routine evaluations which are part of all quality health maintenance
- Tests of organ systems likely to have been damaged by exposure
- Tests which, if not abnormal shortly after exposure, will not become so later
- Tests which are more harmful than helpful
- Tests which have little predictive value
In addition to our litigation experience, we have the added advantage of having extensive preventive health-related medical monitoring and surveillance programmatic experience in non-litigation settings. This provides us with unique credibility. Our collective experience includes serving in such roles as:
- Regional Medical Director for Concentra Medical Centers managing sixteen Occupational and Environmental Medicine Centers in the Mid Atlantic region;
- Establishing and operating four Occupational Medicine Centers for various Federal Agencies;
- Serving as Medical Director for the City of Philadelphia directing disability evaluations and management for firefighters, police personnel and other city workers
As such, our medical professionals have demonstrated that they understand and are skilled analysts of the key scientific principles of occupational and environmental disease:
- The clinical and pathologic expression of most environmentally-caused diseases are indistinguishable from those of non-environmental origin;
- Many diseases of occupational and environmental cause are multifactorial, with non-environmental factors playing a role
We have extensive experience in setting up quality, focused and appropriately-limited surveillance programs on a large scale and in a decentralized fashion. We are experienced in the care and management of workers from many sectors, including first responders, firefighters, police officers, public safety employees, transportation workers, chemical plant workers, commercial building occupants, health care workers, hazardous material handlers, etc. We also have extensive experience in developing strategies, and implementing risk communication programs, for many hazardous exposure scenarios. Our key clients and stakeholders include state and municipal governments, large and small corporations, manufacturing facilities, transportation sector, chemical manufacturers, unions and schools.
