Terrell J Swanson, MD, FAWM
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

Yes. Dr. Swanson accepts cases on both sides of litigation. His opinions are based on the medical record, established clinical standards, and the available evidence, not on which party is retaining him. Attorneys on both sides of emergency medicine cases have retained him for chart review, expert reports, deposition, and trial testimony.

Yes. Some of the most clinically complex cases involve conditions the treating team never identified. Dr. Swanson’s approach reconstructs the clinical picture from available records, lab values, imaging, environmental data, and the physiological sequence of events. A formal diagnosis in the chart is not a prerequisite for a well-supported expert opinion.

Both. Dr. Swanson has provided expert testimony in criminal proceedings, including successful defense of defendants in a drowning death case and prosecution testimony in a case involving assault of an incapacitated patient. His criminal case work requires the same standard of medical rigor as civil matters.

Dr. Swanson’s case experience spans emergency medicine standard of care, environmental and wilderness injuries (hypothermia, heat stroke, high-altitude illness), drowning and marine incidents, freestanding ED care, EMS and transport decisions, and airway management. He has also addressed pain and suffering, mechanism of injury, and causation questions in civil matters involving motor vehicle crashes, nursing home incidents, and product liability.

Dr. Swanson analyzes the full clinical timeline: the patient’s presentation, diagnostic workup, hospital course, and the physiological processes unfolding over hours or days. Where the medical record is incomplete, he draws on clinical literature and established guidelines to support his reasoning. His opinions identify what the evidence supports and where it does not support a competing theory.

Yes, and this is a core part of his value in litigation. Dr. Swanson has extensive experience as a clinical educator and has testified on subjects ranging from the physiology of drowning and hypothermia to GCS scoring, sepsis treatment protocols, and the mechanics of airway management. He translates technical medicine into clear, accessible language without sacrificing accuracy.

No. Dr. Swanson operates independently through Swanson Emergency Medical Services, PLLC. He is not a panel member for any plaintiff or defense firm and does not receive referrals through agency arrangements. His availability and case acceptance decisions are his own.