Dr. Reed’s expertise in development over the lifetime, developmental psychopathology, and clinical psychology, as well as her expertise in stress and trauma can play a central role in tort litigation. For instance, she can make use of the well-researched lifelong impact of perinatal and childhood adversity on the brain, physiology, physical health, mental health, and social, academic, and work competence to help assess damage, causation, and damages throughout the life course, or for individuals at various stages of development and their families. She addresses complex causation issues by factoring in individuals’ previous histories (e.g., trauma, stress, risk and protective factors, and development and functioning in various domains) and the extent to which they may interact with a litigated injury. When assessing damage or injury, Dr. Reed evaluates claims of psychological hurt and symptoms, and psychiatric conditions (such as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) along with their truthfulness and accuracy, and their functional impact. She can therefore assist the plaintiffs or the defendants.
Services Dr. Reed can provide:
- Expert consultation services, including consultation for trial preparation.
- Expert reports and/or testimony:
- Forensic psychological evaluations of individuals and family members.
- Stand-alone reviews and summary reports of the literature to assist the triers of facts.
- Assessment of the likely developmental, psychological, and mental health impact of mass torts on individuals, families, communities, and populations.
- External reviews of other professionals’ work.
Examples of Torts that Can be Assessed:
- Car and Other Accidents (e.g., resulting in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, other psychiatric or physical disabilities, or death affecting injured individuals, and possibly their parents, their siblings, their romantic and/or parenting partners, and their children).
- Medical Malpractice (e.g., negligence during delivery, resulting in brain damage and an abnormal developmental trajectory; invasive medical procedures performed without consent or support, resulting in PTSD and difficulty in receiving subsequent care).
- Sale of Drugs by Pharmaceutical Companies or Vaping Companies (e.g., impact of overdose-related deaths on adults and children as family members; effects of nicotine use on adolescents’ physical, neurological, emotional, academic, and social development).
- Environmental Torts.
- Abusive Practices or Traumatic Experiences in the Military (e.g., resulting in inappropriate behaviors related to PTSD and affecting honorability of discharge).
- Institutional Discrimination, Harassment, Abuse or Assault (physical, sexual, emotional), or Neglect:
- in the Workplace
- in Schools
- within Religious Institutions
- in Foster Care
- in Group Homes, Treatment Centers, Hospitals, or Hospice
- in the Care of Police Officers, in Jails, Prisons, and Juvenile Detention Centers.
