Frequently Asked Questions

To request Dr. Thomas’s CV, fee schedule, or an initial consultation, please provide basic information about the case through the contact form.

  • Dr. Thomas reviews medical-legal matters involving rheumatology, arthritis, lupus, Sjögren’s disease, systemic autoimmune disease, musculoskeletal conditions, medication complications, disability, causation, prognosis, and standard of care.

    Common matters include delayed diagnosis, misdiagnosis, treatment-monitoring issues, trauma-related worsening of preexisting rheumatologic disease, disability claims, future care needs, and questions involving whether evaluation or treatment was consistent with accepted rheumatology practice.

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

  • Commonly reviewed conditions include lupus, Sjögren’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, vasculitis, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, post-traumatic arthritis, gout, pseudogout, systemic sclerosis, Raynaud’s phenomenon, polymyalgia rheumatica, giant cell arteritis, myositis, and medication-related complications.

  • Yes. Many rheumatology cases involve questions about whether trauma, illness, medication exposure, delayed diagnosis, or treatment decisions caused or worsened symptoms, function, disease activity, or prognosis. Dr. Thomas can review the record and provide opinions regarding causation, aggravation, clinical course, prognosis, and future care needs when these issues fall within his area of expertise.

  • Yes. Dr. Thomas reviews cases involving disability, work limitations, functional impairment, prognosis, future care needs, and the impact of rheumatologic or autoimmune disease on daily activities and occupational function.

  • Yes. Dr. Thomas can review whether rheumatology evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, medication monitoring, follow-up, referral, and interpretation of laboratory or imaging findings were consistent with accepted standards of rheumatology practice.

  • Yes. Dr. Thomas provides written expert reports when requested. Reports may address diagnosis, causation, standard of care, prognosis, disability, future care, medical record interpretation, and other rheumatology-related issues relevant to the case.

  • Yes. Dr. Thomas is available for deposition and trial testimony when appropriate. His testimony focuses on explaining complex rheumatologic and autoimmune disease issues in clear, understandable language.

  • Useful records often include relevant office notes, hospital records, rheumatology consultations, primary care records, emergency department records, laboratory results, imaging reports, medication lists, pathology reports, disability records, prior expert reports, deposition transcripts, and a concise case summary.

    For a preliminary inquiry, attorneys should not send extensive records until after a conflict check and initial discussion.

  • Please include:

    • Type of matter, such as medical malpractice, personal injury, disability, or standard-of-care review

    • Brief case summary

    • Key rheumatology or autoimmune disease issues

    • Plaintiff or defense representation

    • Relevant deadlines

    • Type of opinion requested

    • Whether a written report, deposition, or trial testimony may be needed

    • Request for CV, fee schedule, or initial consultation

  • Yes. Attorneys may request a complimentary initial phone consultation to discuss the general nature of the case, determine whether the matter appears to fall within Dr. Thomas’s area of expertise, and request his CV and current fee schedule.

  • Yes. Dr. Thomas can review medical-legal cases from other jurisdictions when the medical issues fall within his area of expertise and no conflict exists.

  • Use the contact form to request Dr. Thomas’s current CV, fee schedule, or an initial consultation. Please include basic information about the case, key medical issues, relevant deadlines, and the type of opinion requested.

  • No. Submitting a form or contacting Dr. Thomas does not create an expert retention relationship. A formal retention agreement must be completed before Dr. Thomas is retained and before extensive case materials are reviewed.

  • No. The website form should be used for basic case information only. Do not send confidential medical records, protected health information, or extensive case materials through the form unless secure transmission has been arranged.

  • Dr. Thomas’s current fee schedule is available to attorneys upon request. Rates may vary depending on the type of service requested, including record review, expert report preparation, deposition testimony, trial testimony, or consultation.

  • Dr. Thomas understands that medical-legal matters often involve court deadlines, expert disclosure dates, deposition scheduling, and report due dates. Attorneys are encouraged to include relevant deadlines when requesting review so that availability and expected timing can be discussed before retention.