Records & case review
Independent review of medical records, photographs, examination documentation, and the relevant literature — applying the science to the specific facts of your case.
Medical-Forensic Expert Review & Testimony
First, do know harm.
Independent expert review and testimony in cases of sexual assault, strangulation, intimate partner violence, and child abuse. I read the records, apply the science, and say plainly what the evidence does — and does not — support.
01 The expert
The science, weighed honestly — whichever side is asking.
Benjamin O. Weger, MD, FAAP, RN, EMT-P
Forensic pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist. The path was not a straight line — paramedic, then nurse, then physician, then fellowship-trained subspecialist — and a U.S. Army veteran before a civilian career. More than two decades in healthcare, much of it spent in the rooms most clinics are not built to handle.
The through-line never changed: get the science right, present it fairly, and never let a conclusion outrun the evidence. I have told prosecutors their case was weaker than they believed. I have told defense teams the opposite. I take the question the evidence answers and I answer it — not the one either side wishes it answered. Accuracy does not take sides.
First Do Know Harm is an independent practice. The name is deliberate. "First, do no harm" is a fine instinct and a poor method — in a courtroom, the way you avoid harm is to know: to understand what the findings mean, what they don't, and where the honest edges of the science actually are.
02 Expert & legal
Where the medicine meets the case file.
Independent medical-forensic review and testimony for prosecution and defense. Four areas of focused expertise, applied to the specific facts in front of us.
i
Sexual assault & SAFE exams
Interpretation of medical-forensic examination findings, the evidence and the limits of it, and what the literature does and does not allow you to conclude.
ii
Strangulation
The clinical picture of non-fatal strangulation, the frequent absence of external findings, documentation, and the science behind the testimony.
iii
Intimate partner violence
Patterns of injury, the medical record in context, and the difference between what a finding suggests and what it proves.
iv
Child abuse
Careful, literature-grounded review of pediatric findings — including the differential, the mimics, and the boundaries of what can be said.
What I provide
Depositions & interviews
Availability for deposition and pretrial interviews, with clear explanation of the findings, the methods, and the honest limits of what they support.
Written expert reports
Clear, defensible written reports that state the basis for each opinion and don't reach past the evidence. Plain language where it helps a jury; precision where it matters.
Expert testimony
Testimony at trial, CONUS and OCONUS, for prosecution or defense. The same standard regardless of who retained me: what the science supports, stated without overstatement.
How it works
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Conflict & fit check
Tell me the jurisdiction and the question. I confirm there's no conflict and that the question is one I'm actually qualified to answer. If it isn't, I'll say so.
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Review the materials
I read the records, the documentation, and the relevant literature, and form an opinion grounded in the evidence rather than the desired outcome.
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Report & consult
A written report when you need one, and direct consultation either way — including the parts of the case the science does not help you with.
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Deposition & testimony
Deposition, pretrial interviews, and testimony at trial, CONUS or OCONUS, as the case requires.
“I present what the evidence supports — to whichever side is asking — and I will not pretend it shows more than it does.”
The standard, both directions
03 Preparedness education
Training for when help is hours away, not minutes.
Hands-on trauma-care and preparedness courses for groups and events. Built from real casework and real field experience — not slideware. If you carry a gun, you should be at least as prepared to save a life as to take one.
Courses are coming soon. To request pricing and a retainer, or to reserve a date for your group, email info@firstdoknowharm.com.
Beyond Stop the Bleed
Hemorrhage control past the basics — tourniquets, wound packing, and the decisions that actually keep someone alive until the ambulance arrives.
Coming soon — email info@firstdoknowharm.com for pricing & retainer.
The MARCH algorithm
The trauma-care framework used where seconds count — Massive hemorrhage, Airway, Respiration, Circulation, Hypothermia — taught for civilians, hands-on.
Coming soon — email info@firstdoknowharm.com for pricing & retainer.
Prolonged field care
What to do when help is hours away, not minutes: keeping a casualty alive over time, far from a hospital, with what you can carry.
Coming soon — email info@firstdoknowharm.com for pricing & retainer.
Closer Than You Train For
A forensic-casework-based class on strangulation, predatory violence, and grooming patterns — how this violence actually presents, drawn from the work itself.
Coming soon — email info@firstdoknowharm.com for pricing & retainer.
04 Contact
Discuss a case.
Tell me the jurisdiction and the question you need answered. I'll tell you if I'm the right person for it — and if I'm not, I'll say so.
info@firstdoknowharm.comInquiries only — please don't send privileged or protected material until we've confirmed there's no conflict and agreed how to proceed.