The Chiropractor as Expert—A Guide for the Practitioner

Copyright © 2005, William Kevin Stoos, Artisan Press, Sioux City, Iowa 2005, 54 pages

Reviewed by William Moreau, DC, DACBSP

This manual is the work product of an attorney with over thirty years of experience in working with Doctors of Chiropractic from both sides of the fence. He brings to light the good and bad of working with doctors in the legal arena. While many chiropractors are unfamiliar with their role in the legal process it is important that all doctors understand this role. It seems to this reviewer that the vast majority of doctors dread courtroom work – if you are one of these doctors then this is the manual for you to increase your comfort and understanding of the legal process. Make sure you keep it somewhere you can find it when you need to re-read it!

There are eleven chapters that address topics from why chiropractors are called as experts, the legal process, becoming an effective witness, and how to place a value on your time when you enter the legal process. The chapters include many interesting references to actual legal proceedings. As an individual that is frequently asked to provide expert opinions and testimony I was very interested and pleased to see that the contents did in fact clarify the legal process. The reader will immediately appreciate the author’s format, content and direct writing style. The legalese is kept to an understandable level.

My favorite section of the manual is Chapter Six. This chapter deals with the Eight Rules of becoming a more effective expert. They are no-nonsense rules with an expanded discussion of what the rules really mean. I am sure that every attorney wishes the experts they work with were knowledgeable of these rules. The information on defending yourself and your opinions upon questioning is something you should know before you raise the right hand!

Any doctor that is involved in providing testimony through either depositions or at trail needs to purchase this manual to assist in their preparations. The peace of mind the reader will receive by understanding and preparing with the assistance if this manual makes the modest $50 price a bargain.

I enjoyed Mr. Stoos’ work so much that I asked Mr. Stoos if he would consider creating a DConline course based on the manual! This class was launched in 2006.