Medical Expert Witness

Swallowing & Dysphagia Expert Witness | Choking & Aspiration

George Barnes, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, is a Board-Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders—a credential held by only 0.2% of speech-language pathologists nationwide. He provides objective medical-legal case reviews, standard-of-care analyses, and deposition and trial testimony in catastrophic choking, aspiration pneumonia, and wrongful death litigation.

Unlike purely academic witnesses whose opinions are detached from current clinical realities, George maintains an active practice dedicating over 50% of his time to direct patient care. He routinely manages medically complex cases and conducts diagnostic Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) and Modified Barium Swallow Studies (MBSS). This daily clinical immersion ensures his evaluations reflect the prevailing standard of care rather than outdated or theoretical paradigms.

George serves as graduate dysphagia adjunct faculty at Seton Hall University and is an invited national educator for organizations including ASHA, CANHR, and MedBridge, lecturing extensively on clinical decision-making, aspiration risk, and standard-of-care protocols. An eight-time recipient of the ASHA Award for Continuing Education (ACE), he is recognized for his authority in the field, as evidenced by his appointment to the 2026 ASHA Convention Adult Swallowing Topic Committee, where he directly helps establish national benchmarks in swallowing assessment and treatment.

Drawing on extensive experience across acute care hospitals, long-term acute care (LTAC), and skilled nursing facilities, his expert review and testimony focus on:

• Nursing Home Choking Litigation: Evaluating unobserved dining, failure to provide prescribed diet textures, mechanical soft/puree non-compliance, staff supervision lapses, and asphyxiation wrongful death claims.

• Aspiration Pneumonia & Hospital Standards of Care: Analyzing acute care and rehabilitation records for post-stroke dysphagia, failure or delay in ordering instrumental diagnostics, missed silent aspiration, and compromised airway protection.

• Instrumental Swallowing Diagnostics (FEES/MBSS): Establishing negligence, omissions, or misinterpretations in the execution and clinical application of endoscopic and videofluoroscopic swallowing evaluations.

Litigation Experience at a Glance:

Retained on 37 legal cases across 16 states and Washington, D.C. for comprehensive medical record review, rebuttal reports, depositions, and courtroom testimony. Maintaining a balanced distribution of 59% defense and 41% plaintiff retention, George Barnes delivers evidence-based objectivity that withstands aggressive cross-examination in state and federal courts nationwide.