Dr. Quimson-Guevarra Forensic Psychiatrist and Medical-Legal Expert Witness

Forensic Psychiatry

Dr. Pia Quimson-Guevarra

Board-Certified Physician in Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry

Legal Consequences and  Considerations

Psychiatric conditions can impact judgment, clarity of thought, even criminal responsibility.

Dr. Quimson-Guevarra presents a clear, concise, and accessible report of  her forensic findings. She testifies and acts as a private consultant about mental health questions in a case.

A medical opinion is useful whether a case settles or goes to trial.  

Dr. Pia Quimson-Gueverra is a physician practicing in the greater Portland area. She is a treating Psychiatrist and Forensic Psychiatrist. She consults to attorneys, courts and employers.

Dr. Quimson-Guevarra is dual Board-Certified in Forensic Psychiatry and Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. She is among a unique group of doctors. Only 4% of all Board-Certified Psychiatrists are also Board-Certified in Forensic Psychiatry. This reflects completing a rigorous Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship and passing Board-Certification examination.

Psychiatry

Forensic Psychiatry

Dr. Quimson-Guevarra is available to consult and serve as a disclosed Expert Witness about diagnosis of psychiatric conditions, emotional distress damages, contributing medical and mental health factors in employment and most legal matters . She is based in Portland, Oregon, and serves the Pacific Northwest. She is available to travel and testify in other locales and jurisdictions by video as needed.

Dr. Quimson-Guevarra is an Oregon Certified Forensic Evaluator.

Private Forensic Practice

Dr. Quimson-Guevarra’s private forensic psychiatric practice is based in Portland though she is available to opine in cases and testify nationally.

Civil Litigation and Criminal Law

Dr. Quimson-Guevarra works with civil plaintiff and defense attorneys, criminal defense attorneys, and prosecution. She prides herself on her objectivity and ability to render an unbiased opinion.

Occupational and Fitness for Duty

Dr. Quimson-Guevarra also conducts psychiatric occupational evaluations including Fitness for Duty and return to work assessments.

Forensic Psychiatry and Medical Education

Education

After obtaining a BS from UC Berkeley, graduating in the top 10% of her class, Dr. Quimson-Guevarra attended Medical School followed by her Psychiatry residency at OHSU.

Dr. Quimson-Guevarra then pursued her interests in the intersection of law and psychiatry.

Forensic Psychiatry Training

Dr. Quimson-Guevarra was accepted to the Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship at OHSU, one of fewer than 50 such programs nationwide. OHSU is the singular program in the entire Pacific Northwest.

After completing Fellowship and passing her Forensic Psychiatry Boards, Dr. Quimson-Guevarra opened her forensic practice alongside her clinical work. She has conducted forensic evaluations for Oregon agencies and courts as well as her work with private attorneys in civil and criminal matters as an expert witness and/or consultant.  See her CV for a complete review of her experience.

Active Clinical Practice: Quimson Behavioral Health

Dr. Quimson-Guevarra provides patient care in her clinical practice, Quimson Behavioral Health. She treats patients for medication management and psychotherapy. In the past, she has treated patients at Cascadia Behavioral Health and the Portland Veteran’s Administration.

Dr. Quimson-Guevarra is a contributor to the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law.

Services that drive a thorough opinion all the way to Court.

SERVICES

  • Case review, case merit
  • Review of medical and legal records. Review of personnel records (FFD)
  • Independent Medical Examinations (aka Independent Medical Evaluations) or IMEs in person and by video
  • Analysis of other Expert Witness Reports in complementary medical mental health fields
  • Written reports of findings by report, Declaration, Affidavit, Certificate of Merit
  • Expert Testimony in deposition or trial
  • Competency Evaluations, CTST, Testamentary Capacity in a living Testator, or posthumous evaluation in Will Contest and Undue Influence cases

Areas of Practice

Psychiatric Malpractice or Negligence
Malpractice or Negligence Allegations

Breach of Standard of Care in mental health treatment: Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Counselor, LCSW, Nurse

Medical Negligence or Medical Malpractice

Psychiatric Inpatient Treatment

Damages Assessment
Civil Litigation Psychiatric Damages

Emotional Distress

Catastrophic Psychiatric Injury

Malingering

Pain and Suffering

Prognosis and Treatment plans

Testamentary Capacity
Testamentary Capacity, Competency

Decision-Making

Mental Status and lucidity, cognitive impairment

Undue Influence and Susceptible Testators

Read more

Psychiatric Disability
Psychiatric Disability

Diagnosis and Prognosis

Mental and Physical Health History

Fitness for Duty

 

Criminal Cases
Criminal Cases

Competency to Stand Trial

Criminal Responsibility

Guilty Except for Insane (GEI) or NGRI

Insanity Plea – Mens Rea

Alternate Opinions: Do They Hold Water?
Review of Expert Witness Reports

Assessing the reports of other mental health experts.

Scrutiny of those findings and examining

reliability and qualifications.

 

If you are an attorney or employer interested in consulting about Psychiatric issues in a case, please contact us.

NOTE: If you personally are a party to an action, or a family member, but not the retained attorney, please have your attorney contact us directly.

The Independent Medical Examination (IME)

A Psychiatrist's Independent Medical Examination (IME)

Perspective starts with the forensic lens.

The forensic IME is not treatment and there is no expectation of patient-physician confidentiality.

A forensic IME are not in the training of a clinical psychiatrist, and are markedly distinct from a clinical medical examination. 

For example, assessing malingering (lying for secondary gain) requires techniques and tools unique to forensic psychiatric assessment.

Legal history and social history may be features of a forensic IME.

They could be relevant where a person has claimed psychiatric elements are relevant to a legal matter.

Dr. Quimson-Guevarra explains more in her article What is an Independent Medical Examination (IME) as conducted by a Forensic Psychiatrist.

The Role of Records Review

The Role of Records Review

Medical and legal records can reveal much about an examinee’s medical history, including conditions that are new or pre-existing.

The legal and personal narrative of events provided by plaintiff or defense is contextual.

Records provide valuable data and demand close review when evaluating the narrative as a Forensic Psychiatrist.

How is the information divulged and from whom?  Is there a conflict of interest between record-makers?

Clues like these can assist the forensic psychiatric investigation.

Unlike psychologists or nurses, Dr. Quimson-Guevarra is a licensed physician and thus medically qualified to interpret most medical records, provider and hospital chart notes, pharmacological and lab reports, and medical Expert reports.

The Report

The Report

A well-written report of conclusions can drive the trajectory of a case.

Dr. Quimson-Guevarra’s reports are founded in medical science and written in a manner useful to the trier of fact or attorney.

The Expert Witness report can be a preface to deposition, trial testimony, or a settlement conference.

Outside the justice system, the Forensic Psychiatrist’s findings are helpful to decision-makers in matters of Fitness for Duty, Work Accommodations, Return to Work, and Competency.

A Forensic Psychiatrist’s opinions are sometimes needed in VA and private Disability Insurance Claims.

Venues and reasons are diverse.

Objective, unbiased opinion, however, is the hallmark of Dr. Quimson-Guevarra’s report of conclusions.

 

Contact Dr. Quimson-Guevarra now.


    *Use "Law Firm" Box if you are an Employer (FFD/RTW), Court, Administrative Body or similar retaining party.

    Contact Info
    Offices Dr. Quimson Guevarra Portland Area
    Phone: 503-832-9293
    Fax: 503-832-9357
    Email: qg@psychexpertwitness.com
    15160 NW Laidlaw Road, Suite 240,
    Portland, OR 97229

    Media

    KGW interviews

    Portland station KGW interviews Dr. Quimson-Guevarra about mental health treatment and the AAPI community.

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      *Use "Law Firm" Box if you are an Employer, Court, Administrative Body or similar retaining party.

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        *Use "Law Firm" Box if you are an Employer, Court, Administrative Body or similar retaining party.

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