Medical-Legal Services

Plastic Surgery Expert Witness • Independent Medical Examinations • Case Review & Analysis
Donald I. Altman, M.D., M.B.A., M.L.S.
Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon | Irvine, California

Overview

After more than thirty years in private practice—and five years gaining a profound new perspective as a patient while undergoing treatment for Acute Myeloid Leukemia—I have expanded my professional work to include:

Expert witness consultation
Independent Medical Examinations (IMEs)
Standard of care reviews
Injury and scar evaluations
Medical negligence analysis
Rebuttal and impeachment testimony

My clinical background is grounded in thousands of plastic and reconstructive surgery cases and decades of real-world outcomes in Irvine, California. I maintain an impeccable 33-year malpractice record, including zero payments and only one frivolous claim, dismissed following my deposition.

In 2024, I completed a Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.) with a concentration in pharmacologic and medical device law, enhancing my ability to analyze and explain complex medical issues in a legal context.

Areas of Expertise

Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Cosmetic surgery: face, eyelids, nose, ears, breast, abdomen, and body contouring
Revision surgery consultations
Postoperative complications
Scar and wound evaluations
Minor burns, scald injuries, and dog bites

Surgical Standards of Care

Duty, breach, causation, and damages analysis
Assessment of decision-making, documentation, and informed consent
Evaluation of whether outcomes are within an acceptable range of surgical risk

Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Standards

AAAASF accreditation and CMS certification
Quality assurance and safety processes
Policy review and regulatory compliance
Single-specialty ASC ownership and operation (1995–2019)

Independent Medical Examinations (IME)

Objective evaluations and narrative reports
Photographic and clinical analysis of injuries and scars
Approximately 20 IMEs performed across a range of injury mechanisms

Selected Expert Witness Engagements

(Representative matters; additional details available upon request.)

Stingl v. Berman (Cal. Ct. App., 4th Dist., Div. 3, 2023) – Defense Expert. Authored plastic surgery standard-of-care declaration (Dec. 2021). Trial court granted summary judgment; judgment affirmed on appeal.
Confidential California Medical Board Administrative Matter (June 2025) – Defense Expert. Retained in defense of respondent surgeon in an administrative proceeding. Case resolved favorably.
High-Profile Civil Defense Case (Los Angeles Superior Court, Sept. 2025) – Defense Expert. Retained as rebuttal/impeachment plastic surgery expert witness; not called to testify at trial. Case concluded with a favorable defense verdict.
Independent Medical Examination – Scald Injury (September 2025) – IME and report completed for a hot-liquid scald case (details intentionally omitted at the request of retaining counsel).

Legal Fees

I provide a clear, written fee schedule for all medical-legal work. A summary of current fees includes:

$625 per hour for chart review, phone consultations, and report preparation
$1,850 per hour for depositions (2-hour minimum)
$5,500 per half-day of trial testimony (up to 4 hours), then $1,000 per additional hour
$2,750 flat fee for Independent Medical Examinations (IME) including a defined amount of record review and a narrative report
$2,250 non-refundable expert witness retainer for arbitration or trial
Travel outside Orange County billed portal-to-portal

For full details, including payment terms and cancellation policy, please refer to my complete fee schedule:

Download Legal Fee Schedule (PDF)

Curriculum Vitae

I am board-certified in both Plastic Surgery and Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, with over three decades of private practice in Irvine, California. My full Medical-Legal CV, including education, board certifications, clinical leadership roles, Ambulatory Surgery Center experience, and media appearances, is available here:

Download Medical-Legal CV

Contact

For inquiries, case screening, or to discuss a potential expert witness or IME assignment:

Email: donaldaltmanmd@gmail.com
Cell: 949-278-6493

I typically respond to inquiries within 24–48 hours. I do not accept liens or deferred payment arrangements and will not accept cases with a potential or perceived conflict of interest.

Medical-Legal Insights

In addition to case work, I am developing a series of short essays and reflections on medical-legal topics in plastic surgery, including complications, standards of care, and the patient experience.

My introductory post, “A New Medical-Legal Endeavor”, can be found on my blog here:
A New Medical-Legal Endeavor – Blog Post.

Future posts will be grouped under a dedicated “Medical-Legal” category, allowing attorneys and colleagues to follow ongoing commentary on emerging issues in plastic and reconstructive surgery litigation.

OPINEMD™ – Plastic Surgery Expert Witness & Independent Medical Examinations