Medico-legal & expert review.
Independent review of TMD/TMJ cases — most often following motor vehicle accidents — for the attorneys who carry them. Stephen Deal, DDS reads the records before you refer, tells you plainly whether the injury pattern holds up, and is available as an expert where the case requires it.
Symptoms indicating possible TMJ following motor vehicle accidents.
Run your client’s complaints against this list. These are the signs that most often surface in the weeks and months after an accident — and are most often missed.
- Headache, pain at the base of your skull
- Neck ache, stiff neck
- Inability to open your mouth, popping or grinding sounds in the jaw joints, pain upon chewing, teeth don't feel like they fit together
- Unexplained ear pain; ringing, buzzing, popping in your ears
- Pain or tenderness in your facial area
- Numbness in your fingers, head, face
- Mental confusion, irritability, unable to concentrate, mood swings, depression, anxiety
- General fatigue, inability to sleep, can't wake up in the morning, restlessness
*TMD is defined as the constellation of clinical signs and symptoms related to the disorders and dysfunctions of the occlusion (bite) and its interrelated head and neck structures.
What a records review covers.
If your client exhibits any of these symptoms and you would like their situation reviewed prior to referring for consultation, we review the records first — so the referral, if it happens, is the right call.
- The full record set — clinical notes, imaging, prior evaluations, and the accident history
- Whether the documented signs and symptoms are consistent with TMD following a motor-vehicle accident
- Whether an in-person consultation and formal evaluation are warranted before you refer your client
- Written findings you can use in case planning — and expert-witness availability where the case requires it
Note: a records review is an independent professional opinion for counsel — it does not create a doctor-patient relationship with your client.
Two ways in — pick whichever your caseload prefers.
Email the case caption, jurisdiction, and document set — we reply within five business days. Or, to talk a client’s situation through before referring for consultation, call Lisa directly.
Written findings · deposition & testimony by arrangement
Looking for a clinical second opinion rather than a legal one? That intake lives at clinician case support. All other routing is on the contact page.