Standard of Care Reviews
Medical-legal standard of care analysis and adherence reviews conducted by a board-certified physician. We evaluate whether the care provided met accepted medical standards, supporting medical malpractice and professional liability cases.
Deciding whether to retain a standard of care review
Retain a standard of care review when the question is whether the care a provider delivered met the accepted standard for that specialty at the time and place of treatment. The review is a medical opinion by a board-certified physician. It is not a legal conclusion, and it serves counsel presenting a claim and counsel defending one on the same terms.
How the reviewer is matched to the case
KWVRS's physician reviewer is the Chief Medical Director, a board-certified emergency medicine physician, named below. The standard is framed by what a reasonable practitioner in the same specialty would do in the same or similar circumstances, so the reviewing physician's specialty should correspond to the care under review, and some states specify expert qualifications by statute.
State the specialty of the care under review when you inquire. Whether the review fits that specialty is confirmed at intake, together with the clinical questions and conflicts, before scope and retainer are set, so a matter outside the reviewer's specialty is identified then rather than after retention.
Scope accepted
- Standard of care: whether the care provided met accepted clinical standards, supported by the medical literature.
- Causation, when the assignment includes it in addition to standard of care.
- Rebuttal opinions as opposing reports are produced.
- Independent medical evaluations are a separate service, conducted for New York and New Jersey matters only.
Records needed
- The complete medical record for the episode of care, imaging, and the relevant clinical documentation.
- The specific clinical questions to be answered and the providers whose care is under review.
- Any opposing medical opinion already served, and the disclosure deadline that governs the report.
Deliverables
- A written report documenting the findings, the applicable standard, and the basis for each opinion, prepared to the admissibility and disclosure standards that govern expert evidence.
- A literature review documenting the accepted clinical standards where the questions require it.
- Deposition and trial testimony.
The report speaks to clinical standards and, where retained for it, medical causation. Whether a departure amounts to negligence, and questions of liability and damages, are for counsel and the court. Damages experts - vocational, life care, and economic - are retained separately when the matter proceeds to valuation.
Who is responsible
Standard of care reviews at KWVRS are the responsibility of the Chief Medical Director.
- Jesse Wolstein, M.D., M.A. - Chief Medical DirectorBoard-certified emergency medicine physician with a Master's in Rehabilitation Counseling; specializes in medical-legal consulting and standard of care analysis.
Case Types
Standard of Care by Case Type
How standard of care applies to the specific demands of each case type: methodology, deliverables, and what counsel should expect.
Standard of Care by State
Northeast
Southeast
Midwest
Frequently asked: Standard of Care
What does a standard of care engagement cost?
Full retained-expert engagements are billed hourly across review, evaluation, report, and (if needed) testimony phases. Specific cost depends on case complexity and engagement scope.
Does KWVRS work plaintiff and defense?
Yes. KWVRS provides independent, objective standard of care for plaintiff and defense counsel. The methodology is the same regardless of which side commissions the work; KWVRS provides neutral analysis grounded in accepted protocols.
Where does KWVRS provide standard of care?
KWVRS accepts standard of care engagements in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and US territories. State-specific framing is available on the per-state pages linked below.
What is the typical turnaround for a full standard of care report?
Full retained-expert reports are typically 30 to 60 days from receipt of complete records, depending on case complexity. Rush turnarounds are accommodated case-by-case.
Ready to Get Started on Standard of Care?
Contact KWVRS to discuss scope, timing, and the deliverables appropriate to the matter. Plaintiff and defense.