CONSULTIVE SERVICES
Listed below are brief descriptions of the types of services offered by Dr. Randall at Dakota Forensic Consulting. This list is not all-inclusive and other consultative services in forensic pathology, general pathology, and general medicine are also available.
FEE SCHEDULE
For his consultation services Dr. Randall has a standard flat rate charge of $400/hour to include case review time, report preparation time, consultation time, along with wait and travel time. Trial and deposition testimony time is charged at the same rate with a daily cap of $3,000/day. Expenses are billed separately.
FORENSIC PATHOLOGY
BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA:
The primary focus in the investigation of blunt force trauma often is an effort to correlate injuries, particularly patterned injuries, with the instrument or surface that produced them. Also involved in the investigation of blunt force trauma is an attempt to develop the mechanism by which an injury was sustained. Blunt force trauma investigation additionally includes a correlation between external and internal injuries. This is particularly true in the special area of blunt head trauma – both in adults and infants. The investigation of blunt force trauma often becomes more focused and specialized in the area of accidental and inflicted injuries to infants and children.
SHARP FORCE TRAUMA:
Injuries produced by sharp, cutting, instruments typically fall into two categories: stab wounds and slashing wounds. The correlation between weapon and wound is more difficult with sharp versus blunt force trauma but often examination of wounds can produce some indication of the type of weapon used and how it was used. ‘Defense’ injuries can offer some indication of a victim’s attempts to protect themselves during an attack. The pattern of lethal sharp force injury can also offer some insight into differentiating suicidal, homicidal, and accidental manners of death.
GUNSHOT WOUNDS:
The examination of gunshot wounds can provide information regarding the type of weapon and ammunition used, how often and where the victim was shot, the directionality of the projectile, and often most importantly, the range of fire.
MOTOR VEHICLE INJURIES:
Examination of injuries sustained by occupants of a motor vehicle following a crash may allow for discrimination between a driver and a passenger. The pattern of motor vehicle crash related trauma might allow for some determination of the sequence of events occurring during a motor vehicle crash. Injuries sustained by a pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle can provide evidence of the relative positions of a motor vehicle and pedestrian at the time of impact and the velocity of the vehicle.
TOXICOLOGY:
Ante mortem and postmortem levels of drugs and toxins, including ethyl alcohol, can allow for some estimation of expected drug/toxin effects, including death, in both accidental and intentional overdose situations. Back estimations of blood alcohol levels from blood or other samples taken several minutes to hours after an incident (DUI arrest or crash) are inherently unreliable.
SCENE INVESTIGATION:
During his 29 year tenure as Minnehaha County Coroner Dr. Randall personally investigated hundreds of high profile death scenes along with supervising the scene examinations done by the deputy coroners in his office. As a specialized ‘scene,’ Dr. Randall has published on the performance and interpretation of sexual assault victim (both living and dead) examinations. Dr. Randall has special training and experience in the investigations of infant death scenes.
DEATH CERTIFICATION:
Dr. Randall has spoken and published widely regarding the correct determination of cause and manner of death in the completion of death certificates. A through understanding of causation and manner of death can assist an attorney when those issues come into play (e.g. suicide versus accident and accidental deaths incorrectly certified as natural – particularly with falls in the elderly). During his career Dr. Randall has certified more than 12,000 deaths.
CLINICAL PATHOLOGY
Clinical pathology deals with the management of clinical laboratories and the interpretation of the results produced by those laboratories. Dr. Randall was the laboratory director for several laboratories in small area hospitals and as part of the LCM Pathologists, PC provided laboratory management for the Sanford Hospital and University Medical Center. Dr. Randall can address questions regarding laboratory management, test performance, and test interpretation.