Civil Litigation

Americans with Disabilities Act BPC conducts comprehensive diagnostic interviews to develop a complete evaluation, taking into account the claimant’s medical, personal and occupational history. This evaluation clearly delineates the claimant’s limitations and capabilities. Comprehensive reports are then prepared to document findings. BPC reports are a standard of excellence and are cited as a model of thoroughness, balance and rigor. Brain Injury BPC experts have worked with patients suffering from various degrees of brain injury, mental and neurological illness and dementia. The BPC neuropsychologists are expert at combining clinical interviews with rigorous testing to delineate issues involving aging, cognitive capacity, brain injury and mental illness. Child Abuse The BPC staff includes several experts in the areas of child psychiatry and psychology who have evaluated and counseled hundreds of victims and perpetrators of sexual abuse. These experienced evaluators integrate their clinical skills, testing expertise, and the most up-to-date research to render complete, well-supported opinions. Child Psychiatry BPC has child psychiatrists, psychologists and neuropsychologists as part of its expert clinical staff. Child Psychology BPC has a child psychology department with experts in the area of child psychology and child neuropsychology. BPC experts treat and testify in cases involving child abuse, trauma, illness and learning disabilities. Class Action Suits BPC has a large, diverse and qualified staff of experts, which enable it to evaluate many claimants in a short period of time. Over the years, attorneys have retained our services in a number of mass tort cases involving toxic torts and negligent burials. Disability Services BPC provides a full range of clinical services to disability insurance companies and independent review programs throughout the United States. The BPC psychiatrists, psychologists and neuropsychologists are credentialed as expert reviewers with several Independent Review Organizations. With years of experience conducting independent medical examinations and medical file reviews, BPC conducts long-term disability evaluations for claimants who allege psychiatric disability caused by illness or trauma. BPC utilizes a comprehensive diagnostic interview to develop a complete evaluation of the claimant’s medical, personal, and occupational history. Neuropsychological assessments provided by BPC are an invaluable tool in the disability field because they can offer key quantitative and qualitative data that can support or refute the presence of a brain injury. To meet the expanding needs of the disability marketplace the BPC clinical practice includes case/peer and utilization review services. Since all the members of the BPC clinical staff are treating doctors, they have the knowledge and treatment experience required to perform accurate and fair-minded assessments of appropriate treatment and medical necessity. Discrimination Plaintiff and defense attorneys call on BPC experts to evaluate complex claims of psychological injury to employment law litigants. BPC experts are sensitive to cross-cultural factors such as race, age, gender, sexual orientation that impact subjective perceptions of this form of discrimination. Starting with a detailed history of the circumstances of the alleged discrimination, BPC experts determine if the patient’s distress results from the discrimination or serves as a focus upon which unrelated difficulties are displaced. Elder Abuse Evaluation of psychological damages in elder abuse cases calls upon experts to understand and differentiate natural changes that occur amongst the elderly. Such changes might include cognitive deficit and dementia and psychological injury stemming from continuing or specific trauma. BPC experts have worked with the elderly population in hospitals and board and care facilities. These experiences combined with the BPC superior forensic training and abilities are of great value to litigators in elder abuse cases. Employment Law BPC has many staff experts with clinical and forensic experience in the employment law arena. Plaintiff and Defense attorneys retain BPC experts to evaluate and make sense of these often complex and confusing claims. Fitness for Duty Issues of violence sometimes spill into the workplace environment. Such issues, combined with limitations outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), are placing new restrictions on managers doing their everyday jobs. In the event that an employee displays erratic or unusual behavior, BPC specialists are trained to evaluate individuals for “fitness for duty” and to recommend preventative or remedial actions to company management. Mass Torts The large, diverse and well-qualified staff of clinical experts enables BPC to evaluate many claimants in a short period of time. Attorneys have retained BPC services in a number of mass tort cases involving toxic torts and negligent burials. Mental Health Malpractice BPC experts have a deep understanding of how psychiatrists and psychologists should function and conduct their practices. Because of their depth of experience and outstanding industry reputation, BPC experts have been retained in cases involving diagnostic errors, improper prescription, unsafe interaction of prescribed medicines, alleged patient/therapist sexual interaction, breach of confidentiality, unprofessional behavior and wrongful death as a result of patient suicide. Mold Exposure These cases can be extremely complex. Often symptoms of depression or anxiety disorders mimic cognitive impairment caused by toxic exposures. BPC experts have handled these cases as clinicians and forensic experts and have the experience and skill to untangle these issues and understand the true etiologies of patients’ symptoms. Neuropsychiatry Plaintiff and defense attorneys, judges and juries are often faced with critical questions concerning whether and to what extent an individual has suffered a brain injury warranting monetary compensation, rehabilitation or other benefits. Neuropsychological assessments are an invaluable tool in the medical-legal field because they can offer key quantitative and qualitative data to support or refute the presence or absence of a brain injury. BPC assessments also provide important information regarding the effects of the injury on a person’s life and family, their everyday functioning and their ability to return to work and function effectively in the future. Personal Injury BPC experts regularly evaluate these cases and understand how physical pain and injury can lead to psychological problems. With highly skilled clinicians, BPC can articulate the difference between normal reactions to trauma and maladaptive responses resulting in psychological disorders. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder The expert staff at BPC has years of experience specializing in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment, trauma response and crisis intervention. BPC experts conduct ongoing training seminars for hospital staffs and emergency first responders and trained fellow mental health professionals to treat trauma following the San Francisco earthquake and hurricane Hugo in Florida. Many BPC clinicians have published in this area. Product Liability BPC experts regularly evaluate product liability cases and understand how physical pain and injury can lead to psychological problems. With their experience and skills, BPC can articulate the difference between normal reactions to trauma and maladaptive responses resulting in psychological disorders. Psychopharmacology BPC psychiatrists have clinical and forensic experience in this area. The experienced BPC evaluators integrate their clinical skills, testing expertise, and the most up to date research to render thorough, well-supported opinions. Sexual Abuse BPC clinical staff includes experts in understanding the impact of the areas of child and adult sexual abuse. Experienced evaluators integrate their clinical skills, testing expertise, and the most up to date research to render thorough, well-supported opinions. Several BPC experts have served on staff at the UCLA Rape Treatment Center. Sexual Harassment Plaintiff and Defense attorneys retain BPC experts to evaluate and make sense of these often complex and confusing claims. BPC’s experience has been that litigated cases often turn on differing interpretations of communications or understandings of the work-environment based on past experiences. In evaluating patients BPC will consider, amongst other things, inherent power differentials in the work place, pre-existing factors, treatment issues and patient credibility. Somatoform Disorders BPC staff members have handled thousands of cases, clinically and forensically, involving patients who report debilitating physical pain which cannot be medically corroborated. Experts at BPC have the experience and skill to untangle these issues and understand the etiologies of patients’ symptoms. Testamentary Capacity BPC experts have worked extensively with patients suffering from various degrees of brain injury, mental and neurological illness and dementia. Neuropsychologists at BPC are expert at combining clinical interviews with rigorous testing to parse out issues involving aging, cognitive capacity, brain injury and mental illness. Toxic Exposure Toxic exposure cases can be extremely complex. Sometimes symptoms of depression or anxiety disorders mimic cognitive impairment caused by toxic exposures. BPC experts have grappled with these cases as clinicians and forensic experts and they have the experience and skill to untangle these issues and understand the etiologies of patients’ symptoms. . Wrongful Termination Plaintiff and Defense attorneys call on BPC experts to evaluate complex claims of psychological injury to employment law litigants. The BPC clinical staff is very familiar with the psychological fall-out that can result from wrongful termination and how pre-existing and immediate, non-employment difficulties play into psychological conditions. Starting with a detailed history of the circumstances leading to termination, BPC will determine if the patient’s distress results from the termination or serves as a focus upon which unrelated difficulties are displaced. BPC experts understand the subjective sense of loss and abandonment.