Areas of Rheumatology Expertise

Rheumatology, Arthritis & Autoimmune Disease Case Review

Dr. Donald E. Thomas, MD, FACP, FACR, RhMSUS provides medical-legal case review and expert witness services for cases involving rheumatologic, musculoskeletal, and systemic autoimmune diseases. He reviews medical records, laboratory data, imaging, treatment history, timelines, and disease course to address questions involving diagnosis, causation, standard of care, prognosis, disability, and future care needs.

Dr. Thomas reviews both plaintiff and defense matters. His opinions are objective, evidence-based, and guided by the medical record, clinical context, and accepted standards of rheumatology practice.

Rheumatologic Conditions Reviewed

  • Lupus/systemic lupus erythematosus

  • Sjögren’s disease

  • Rheumatoid arthritis

  • Systemic sclerosis/scleroderma

  • Myositis, polymyositis, dermatomyositis, and inflammatory muscle disease

  • Vasculitis

  • Giant cell arteritis/temporal arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica

  • Raynaud’s phenomenon

  • Connective tissue disease overlap syndromes

  • Psoriatic arthritis

  • Ankylosing spondylitis and axial spondyloarthritis

  • Inflammatory arthritis

  • Osteoarthritis and post-traumatic arthritis

  • Degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, and other spinal disorders

  • Fibromyalgia

  • Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and other hypermobility-related rheumatology questions

  • Musculoskeletal ultrasonography

  • Medication toxicity and treatment-monitoring issues

Common Medical-Legal Issues Reviewed

  • Delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis

  • Causation and aggravation of preexisting disease

  • Standard-of-care analysis

  • Disability and functional impairment

  • Prognosis and future care needs

  • Medication complications and monitoring

  • Interpretation of rheumatology laboratory tests

  • Differentiation of inflammatory, degenerative, traumatic, and chronic pain conditions

  • Trauma-related worsening of preexisting rheumatologic disease

  • Appropriateness of rheumatology evaluation and treatment

Case Types

  • Medical malpractice

  • Personal injury

  • Motor vehicle collision cases involving rheumatologic injury or worsening

  • Disability claims

  • Medication-related claims

  • Delayed diagnosis claims

  • Misdiagnosis

  • Standard-of-care disputes

  • Causation and prognosis disputes

View Dr. Thomas's LinkedIn Profile

Need a rheumatology case review?

Request Dr. Thomas’s CV, fee schedule, or an initial consultation