Forensics

Dr Vernon Neppe as a forensic specialist.

If you are an attorney seeking information on Dr. Neppe's medico-legal forensics services, click here

  • Dr. Neppe only works with attorneys or attorney firms. Generally he requires all pertinent information and is unavailable for "short-cuts" like "just writing a quick letter".
  • Dr. Neppe is involved in civil not criminal cases, and also evaluations of competency issues if they have civil pertinence.
  • He works with both plaintiff and defense attorneys and endeavors to give a balanced perspective of each case. 
  • He does forensic consultations at any stage of this case (before even filing all the way through to rebuttal).
  • He accepts cases anywhere in the United States, Canada and outside North America.
  • Each case requires a preliminary screen as to appropriateness.
  • Please note that Dr. Neppe does not consult with individuals who may be in litigation.  If the client contacts Dr. Neppe directly, it may lead to him not taking the case. (Dr Neppe gives objective opinions and contacting Dr Neppe directly as patients or family for medicolegal purposes, may be construed as a source of bias that might be unacceptable. )

In addition to this page, for more information on Dr Vernon Neppe and medicolegal elements, please refer to www.pni.org/forensics/ and this includes http://www.pni.org/forensics/#neppeforensically

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Professor Vernon M Neppe MD, PhD (Med), FRSSAf, DFAPA, FFPsych (SA), MMed (Psych), ABPN (BC Psychiatry' subspecialties: Forensic Psychiatry -04, Geriatric Psychiatry-11), DPsM (with Neurology / Psychiatry), DSPE, DABFM, DABFE, DABPS (Psychopharmacology), FACFE, LMACFE, FCPsych, MB, BCh,, BA, FRCPC-10, MMed, is a formidable, highly trained, experienced and internationally renowned neuropsychiatrist, behavioral neurologist, psychopharmacologist, psychiatrist, epileptologist, consciousness researcher, in-demand communicator, civil forensic expert (defense or plaintiff), peer-respected clinician, extensively published academic, book-author and incisive thinker. Applying several objective criteria (peer-review and recognition,, training, experience, results, versatility), Dr Neppe is one of the most highly qualified medical experts in the USA, and uniquely qualified in his broad areas of testimony. He prefers civil medicolegal expert work, attempting to equalize defense and plaintiff cases, but will occasionally accept competency cases. His multiple specialties and qualifications allow him to be retained as a single expert performing tasks that often require numerous experts. He is very strong as a clinician and researcher and demonstrates powerful intangibles in forensic research (incisive thinker, professional communicator, excellent research methodologist, clinical scientist, writer —very useful for declarations, and MD and PhD). This allows Professor Neppe to at times double up on as a an expert in many different disciplines.

  • Dr. Neppe was recruited after an international search to establish and become Director of what was then apparently the first Division of Neuropsychiatry in a Department of Psychiatry in the USA (in 1986, at the University of Washington, Seattle)
  • In August 1992, he then established a model neuropsychiatric institute, the Pacific Neuropsychiatric Institute in Seattle, for complex clinical evaluations and also performs a limited number of  forensic evaluations.
  • Dr. Neppe also has a PhD and so is an MD, PhD. This increases his versatility as an expert and has led to his great expertise in Research Methodology allowing the skill of approaching medical and psychological data carefully and critically.
  • His versatility in brain function abnormalities make him a formidable expert in the psychiatric, neuropsychiatric, behavioral neurological and psychopharmacological areas.Prof. Neppe is an experienced, peer-respected clinician, and is a pioneering researcher (where his contributions have directly impacted millions.). He is an extensively published (750+ academic publications (includes abstracts and in press) in every habitable continent, author of eleven + books (including Cry the Beloved Mind,  Reality Begins with Consciousness How Attorneys Can Best Utilize Their Medical Expert WitnessInnovative Psychopharmacotherapy , and is also a playwright (2 plays).
  • He is an in-demand communicator (professional speaker, media), creativity specialist (Prof. & Exec.Dir., ECAO), incisive thinker (past chess champion), and a versatile multi-specialty civil medicolegal expert (defense or plaintiff)
  • Dr. Neppe is an experienced clinician). He’s also a prolific scientist and has pioneered several critical research areas.
  • He has impacted on the lives literally of millions of patients.
  • He is also an academic [(Adjunct) Full Professor, SLU and previously the first Director of a Division of Neuropsychiatry in a Dept. of Psychiatry in the United States (U. Washington.).
  • An insightful thinker and former expert chess player, Professor Neppe is able to appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of lawsuits and advise consultatively, truthfully and objectively, in a manner that may make enormous changes to the case and the strategy: Cases have even settled when the other side has heard he has been retained. He has even been retained to avoid him being the other side's expert witness. His medicolegal expertise is even being used in cases outside the United States, as well as nationally within the USA. He works quickly, often saving time yet being thorough and incisive, and at times, recommending important directions that can impact case outcome. These skills led to his monograph/book to facilitate attorneys in choosing a medical expert witness (see http://www.brainvoyage.com/attorneyadvice.php)
  • Moreover, after examining the medical records, by giving a preliminary oral opinion on the strengths and weaknesses of a case, plaintiff attorneys can decide whether to proceed, and defense attorneys whether to settle. This can save considerable costs later.
  • These skills allow Dr. Neppe to be a very powerful expert for many different kinds of cases, including personal injury, malpractice and competency issues. Moreover, his potential use in multiple capacities, such as Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology and Psychopharmacology as well as Psychiatry and Seizure phenomena, and as an expert on higher brain functioning, and his combined MD and PhD qualifications, and extensive publications in many areas, markedly increases his versatility and range as an expert consultant, permits the retaining of fewer experts in certain cases, and allows for powerful rebuttals and more complete perspectives in consultations.
  • Professor Neppe's expertise is particularly valuable. His professional background includes both an MD and PhD. This reflects his broader skills and effectively increases his credibility.
  • His apparent ability to debate issues and think on his feet, and his persuasive speaking style learnt from years of in-demand public speaking as a professional speaker, may be a decided advantage for potential jurors, as well as for judges in trial or arbitration. Feedback in this regard supports this hypothesis: He has learnt to address people at the correct level, as reflected in his contributions as a book author for both laypersons and colleagues, as a playwright, and particularly with his extensive experience with the media, sometimes in live programs. Despite all of this, the majority of his work is as a clinician.
  • Vernon Neppe is currently Director of the Pacific Neuropsychiatric Institute in Seattle, WA. He is also an attending physician at Overlake Hospital, Bellevue, WA and on staff at Northwest Hospital, Seattle, WA. He practices medicine in Washington State but his major current academic university affiliation is as (Adjunct Full) Professor, Dept of Neurology and Psychiatry at St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO. This is a singular, extremely unusual honor of respect, 1700 miles from his home base.
  • Dr. Neppe is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and has been additionally certified in Geriatric Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry [10 y cert-2004]. He was in the first group board certified by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties in Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychiatry. He is a Board Certified Forensic Examiner and in Forensic Medicine as well as being a Fellow and Life Member of the American College of Forensic Examiners. He also has an overseas specialist qualification with majors in Psychiatry and Neurology (the Diploma in Psychological Medicine).
  • Dr. Neppe is a fellow (or higher) of eight and member of more than a dozen additional professional associations (including American or International Psychiatric, Medical, Neuropsychiatric, Epilepsy, Psychogeriatric, Psychopharmacological and Psychological Associations and Societies).
  • He has been the Co-Principal Researcher of a highly competitive international research grant.
  • In 2002, he was honored internationally as apparently the first physician based in the United States to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa. In 2004, he was elected a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and then in December 2007, elevated to their highest single public level of Distinguished Fellow. He was singularly chosen to lead the first USA and International Delegation in Psychopharmacology and Neuropsychiatry (China, 2006 through People to People Ambassador Program established by President Eisenhower). He has attained the level of Diplomate of the International Society for Philosophical Enquiry.
  • Amongst his special international recognitions are:
    Royal Society of South Africa, Fellow 2002 (Foreign) (one of handful of Americans so elected; possibly first American USA based physician so elected)(Member,1986).
    Distinguished Fellow, American Psychiatric Association, Dec 2007, Fellow 2004 (Member 1986)
    Collegium Internationale Neuropharmacologicum, Fellow, 1986 (elected; initially Member). He was listed as one of the leading Psychopharmacologists of the 20th Century by this organizations.
  • He led the first USA and International Delegation in Neuropsychiatry and Psychopharmacology  (to China).
  • Amongst his other special recognitions, he unanimously received the interdisciplinary worldwide Whiting Memorial Prize in 2016  (see http://tddvp.com)
  • He is Executive Director of the Exceptional Creative Achievement Organization. 2010- .
  • He is also Director, Human Performance Enhancement Division (HPED) of the World Institute for Scientific Exploration (WISE)(also Faculty of WISE and Faculty, Applied Consciousness Research Division) 2012-
  • He has over time been awarded numerous specialist qualifications making him academically one of the most highly trained physicians in the United States. MD, PhD(Med), FRSSAf, DFAPA, FFPsych(SA), FRCPC, MMed (Psych), DipABPN [Psychiatry; Geriatric Psychiatry; Forensic Psychiatry' BN&NP, DABFM, DABFE, DABPS (Psychopharmacology), FACFE, LMACFE, MB, BCh, DPsM , BA). On paper, this makes Dr Neppe one of the most highly qualified physicians in his area in the world. He has USA board certifications as well as numerous non-USA specialist qualifications.
  • He was the first USA physician to be elected to the prestigious position of Fellow of the Royal Society (South Africa).
  • He was recognized as a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association (highest public level).
  • He was in the first batch of board certified physicians under the United Council for Neurological Subspecialties being certified in Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychiatry.
  • He led the first US and International Delegation in Neuropsychiatry and Psychopharmacology, and was chosen to lead the first such delegation in Behavioral Neurology and Neuropharmacology.
  • He was recognized by the CINP as one of the Leading Psychopharmacologists of the Twentieth Century.
  • He established the first Division of Neuropsychiatry in a Psychiatry Department in the USA.
  • His exceptional creativity across several different areas is demonstrated objectively by his being the only Distinguished Professor of the Exceptional Creative Achievement Organization.
  • He has been working in this field of Forensic Psychiatry/ Neuropsychiatry/ Psychopharmacology for more than three decades. In the specific context of his Medicolegal work, Dr Vernon Neppe became certified in Forensic Psychiatry in their very first examination by the American Board of Forensic Psychiatry in 1994 (-2004). He is also a Member of AAPL (the American Association for Psychiatry and the Law).
  • He has been regarded by his peers as a leading expert in his area: For example,  he is so highly respected by peers and is unique as it is under 5 different subspecialties that  he appears in every edition to date of America's Top Doctors, and is apparently the only MD ever listed under any five different specialties or subspecialties. In Dr Neppe's instance this is Neuropsychiatry, Behavioral Neurology, Psychopharmacology, Psychiatry and  Forensic Neuropsychiatry. America's Top Doctors  is a peer voted primary source for such information and Prof. Neppe is in all 18 editions.Moreover, Dr Neppe was apparently also listed in all editions of the peer voted on book, Best Doctors in America, when it was the authority in the mid/late 1990s.
  • He is an academic as well —an Adjunct Full Professor, Department  of Neurology and Psychiatry, in St Louis, 1700 miles from his home base, a singular honor, attesting to his degree of respect (an extremely unusual honor). He keeps up-to-date on the standard texts, controversies and trends in his field as well as with clinical changes.
  • He is author of two books on psychopharmacology and has made ground-breaking contributions to the area. He has written 10+books and is very extensively published.
  • He has developed several measuring and other neuropsychiatric tests and pioneered the area of neuropsychiatry.
  • He was instrumental in the American Medical Association listing a subspecialty of neuropsychiatry under psychiatry.
  • He was also a consultant for DSM 3, 4, 4R and 4TR.
  • He also has been recognized as the pioneer of several major areas of research in psychopharmacology, such as the use of anticonvulsants in psychiatry and developing a treatment for tardive dyskinesia.
    He has similarly made pioneering contributions in Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology in developing tests, new terms, new classifications and describing new conditions.

Dr Neppe is one of the most highly qualified medical experts in the USA. He prefers civil medicolegal expert work, attempting to equalize defense and plaintiff cases.

Dr. Neppe is shortly publishing the third edition of  his landmark book.  How Attorneys Can Best Utilize Their Medical Expert Consultant: A Medical Expert’s Perspective 

SPECIAL EXPERTISE

Given Dr Neppe's prime leadership position, pioneering as he has higher brain functions and traumatic brain injury, a recent topically important, high profile area that Dr Neppe is now forensically consulting in is Chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

His major areas of expertise include multiple areas where he is an international authority on numerous related areas, using a criterion based on publications, presentations, research or recognitions:

  1. Head trauma / brain injury / cerebral disturbanceshead injury(e.g., key chapters in books; own published classification of closed head injuries, plus medicolegal consultations including 8-figure settlement),
  2. Side-effects and clinical impacts of brain medications (e.g. author of two books on psychopharmacology; extensive publications plus medicolegal consultations),
  3. Seizures and atypical spells (extensive background; publications; pioneering discoveries; measuring instrument; classification plus medicolegal consultations),
  4. Tardive dyskinesia, neuropharmacology of basal ganglia disorders (such as Parkinson's syndromes) (e.g. plus medicolegal consultations and key publications developed a successful treatment for it; and evaluation technique, the STRAW), 
  5. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (e.g. published review, pioneering discovery plus medicolegal consultations),
  6. Attention deficit (e.g. pioneering discovery, treatment published plus medicolegal consultations; far more than Attention Deficit Disorder),
  7. Mental status (a leading authority plus medicolegal consultations),
  8. Narcolepsy (developed questionnaire and delivered inaugural invited address to Division of Chronobiology at Cornell University),
  9. Vegetative states and minimally conscious states (published on special evaluation skills in persistent vegetative states and minimally conscious states (expert consultant in a major 8-figure settlement),
  10. Organic and psychiatric aspects of brain and biological conditions. (e.g. consultancies to DSM-IVR and DSM-V; publications and medicolegal consultations)
  11. Pharmaceutical patents (retained by attorneys for both brand name and generic companies plus published in generic/ brand drugs),
  12. Nutraceuticals, nutritional supplements (major interest e.g., writing a book on dietary supplements and developed a special document on the hazards for the ASCP) on obesity (including psychotropic medication side-effects, lectured nationally) and diet (currently, writing a book on the subject) and on previously used diet compounds such as Ephedra alkaloids (both plaintiff and defense expert).
  13. Suicide and depression, anxiety, and aggression (retained by both defense and plaintiff; extensive expertise in area with publications).
  14. Medical malpractice.  Dr. Neppe is frequently consulted on all facets of these cases ranging from dereliction of duty, to proximate causality, to damages and prognosis.
    This has a broad range and Dr. Neppe consults within his expertise level and writings and retained by both defense and plaintiff; see too How Attorneys Can Best Utilize Their Medical Expert Consultant: A Medical Expert’s Perspective)
  15. HIPAA and related security internet issues (publications),
  16. Chemical sensitivities, prolonged. (e.g.  http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130723006787/en/Gang-Associates-LLC-Announces-Veteran’s-Disability-Award),
  17. Carbon monoxide and brain injury (medicolegal consultations for neuropsychiatric expertise on carbon monoxide's effects on the brain),
  18. Personal injury (within expertise and writings and retained by both defense and plaintiff; see too How Attorneys Can Best Utilize Their Medical Expert Consultant: A Medical Expert’s Perspective)
  19. Competency issues provided these are not associated with criminal cases . (Developed evaluations of higher brain function with mental status; plus medicolegal consultations).
  20. Disability. e.g. again http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130723006787/en/Gang-Associates-LLC-Announces-Veteran’s-Disability-Award, where comprehensive reports are written.
  21. Wrongful death  (medicolegal consultations). Dr Neppe has been consulted on numerous cases of this kind.
  22. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy.   This has become an increasingly important and complex condition particularly with sportsmen who have repeated head ‘concussions’.
  23. Pharmaceutical patent disputes.  Dr Neppe has been involved on both the generic and the brand sides.
  24. Stress including post-traumatic stress disorder where he has developed a measuring instrument.
  25. Mental status (a leading authority plus medicolegal consultations)
  26. Organic and psychiatric aspects of brain and biological conditions. (e.g. consultancies to DSM-IVR; publications and medicolegal consultations)
  27. Research methodology (Psychology/ Neuropsychiatry): Dr. Neppe has developed or modified some three dozen research instruments in psychiatry, neurology and psychology.
  28. Creativity and exceptional intelligence. Dr Neppe has published on genius and exceptional intelligence and done a YouTube on this area. This issue sometimes comes after injuries.

These skills allow Dr. Neppe to be a very powerful expert for many different kinds of cases, including personal injury, malpractice and competency issues. Moreover, his potential use in multiple capacities, such as Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology and Psychopharmacology as well as Psychiatry and Seizure phenomena, and as an expert on higher brain functioning, and his combined MD and PhD qualifications, and extensive publications in many areas, markedly increase his versatility and range as an expert consultant. This should permit the retaining of fewer experts in certain cases, and allows for powerful rebuttals and more complete perspectives in consultations.

Dr Neppe's Forensic site  contains details about several medicolegal areas   www.pni.org/forensics/  (the headers below are pertinent  and the links live on this site.)

FORENSICS | FORENSIC NEUROPSYCHIATRY | NEUROPSYCHIATRY & NEUROPSYCHOLOGY differences | PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY |
And on Dr. Neppe:  FORENSIC FIT | DR NEPPE & PNI FORENSICALLY | DR NEPPE'S EXPERTISE | AS EXPERT WITNESS | KINDS OF CASES | GEOGRAPHIC RANGE | BACKGROUND | PNI NEUROPSYCHIATRIC EVALUATIONS | PNI PERSPECTIVES

Amplified links on www.pni.org/forensics/ include:
Attorney medical expert selection Closed Head Injury,
Buspirone and Attention Deficit Disorder and Aggression
Cry the Beloved Mind and Innovative Psychopharmacotherapy  (Neppe psychopharmacology books)
Ethics
Neuropsychiatry
Psychopharmacology
Forensic Links

Also see:  
Juris Pro

Witness Directory
Expert Witness.com 
Experts.com 
LexVisio
XProLegal.com
There are several different attorneys who can provide recommendations. These are available on request (please complete below, for example, or otherwise contact Dr Neppe at the Pacific Neuropsychiatric Institute at 206 527 6289. Or you can visit XProLegal.com (bottom of page).

Dr. Neppe's passion for supporting the finest achievements in medico-legal forensic work has led him to write an excellent and informative book, designed to give any attorney the inside view of how to best utilize a medical expert witness:

How Attorneys Can Best Utilize Their Medical Expert Consultant: A Medical Expert’s Perspective  (2nd edition, Brainvoyage.com ).
Nationally respected medico-legal expert, Vernon M Neppe MD, PhD has put his many years of experience as an expert medico-legal consultant in complex forensic neuropsychiatric and psychopharmacological cases to good use: He has drawn upon his singular expertise to put together this detailed guide for the attorney as well as for fellow medical experts. The many layers of this monograph are all directed toward one aim—winning the case. In his new book, How Attorneys Can Best Utilize Their Medical Expert Consultant: A Medical Expert’s Perspective, Dr Neppe balances the importance of the medical expert’s integrity, which places limits on his or her testimony, with the needs of the attorney in pursuing the legitimate objective of successful litigation. This balance which Dr Neppe achieves harnesses the best of both worlds of Law and Medicine: the professional integrity of the medical expert, while limiting the utilized testimony, at the same time endows it with unimpeachable effectiveness for use by the attorney as long as its limitations are understood and targeted. Dr Neppe succeeds in analyzing and presenting the dynamics of this balance in a format that is at once clear and elegant yet sacrifices none of the potential complexities of that necessary partnership between attorney and medical expert.
This monograph/e-book may assist attorneys in their choice of medical expert witnesses.
by Vernon M Neppe MD, PhD, FRSSAf, DFAPA
Attorneys can download parts of this monograph for free [html version) or purchase the full PDF electronic published book version. There are nine individual chapters:
Retaining Appropriate Medicolegal Expert: Part 1
Getting Most Out Of Your Medical Expert: Part 2
Records and the Medical Expert: Part 3
The Predeposition Period: Part 4
The Discovery Deposition: Part 5
Preparing Court Testimony: The Early Phase: Part 6
Medical Court Testimony: Plan of Attack: Part 7
The Direct Examination of a Medical Expert: Part 8
Cross & Redirect Examination of the Expert: Part 9

For more information click here. For purchase information, click here.