About Us - Dorothy Clay Sims

About Our Team

Law Offices of Dorothy Clay Sims, PA

Dorothy Sims and her team combine decades of experience in medical, legal, and research fields. On a daily basis, Dorothy consults with attorneys throughout the U.S., to provide methods of expert testimony cross-examination. If an attorney requests, Dorothy can depose experts herself. For more information about her consulting, visit the Consultations page .

Dorothy’s practice includes numerous other projects and philanthropic work. She is frequently invited to in-house seminars for lawyers and law firms on researching and cross-examining. She has given over 350 speeches internationally on medical/legal issues throughout the world and is often invited as the state keynote speaker. She has spoken in almost every state in the United States including Hawaii and Alaska. She has also been a featured speaker in Paris, France, Jaipur, India, and twice in Kyoto, Japan.

She has authored chapters in books with individuals such as David Ball and Don Keenan as well as Dr. Michael Freeman. Dorothy donates a percentage of her book profits to various organizations including the American Association for Justice and the International Federation for Human Rights. Her book, “Exposing Deceptive Defense Doctors ” was a best seller for 3 years in a row and went into reprint status soon after publication, unheard of in the industry. She has also authored two children’s books for parents who are injured. The books are available for free upon request. She has also authored articles in national publications to include the Champion Magazine, Trial Magazine (The American Association for Justice Journal) most recently on the cover of the December, 2015 issue, and Brain Injury Professional.

Dr. Oregon Hunter, M.D.

About Dr. Hunter

Dorothy’s most recent addition to her team is Dr. Oregon K. Hunter, MD – a medical doctor licensed in California – who formerly practiced in Florida and Hawaii. Dr. Hunter currently works on cases with Dorothy and other lawyers to determine if misrepresentations are made about the science or the facts in the defense medical expert’s report.

Dr. Hunter has given hundreds of speeches internationally and throughout the US on how defense experts conduct physical exams. He also has performed physical exams on members of the audience to show them how the defense exam should be done. As a result of reviewing some 300 cases for lawyers to see if the video of the exam supports the defense report, he authored an article after going back through 20 consecutive cases. He found not a single one supported the conclusions.[1] In short, even when doctors know they are being recorded, they still don’t accurately report the exam.

Dr. Hunter co-authored the Florida Impairment Guide and other publications as well. His cv is available upon request. Dr. Hunter ran a brain injury program in Hawaii and has treated traumatic brain, CRPS, and spinal injuries for over 40 years.

Dr. Hunter was the president of the Florida Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and some of his research has been published internationally. He was the medical consultant recently in the State vs. Dr. William Husel where the defense team secured a not guilty verdict for Dr. Husel on 14 counts of murder. Dr. Hunter worked pro bono on that case and is available in certain criminal cases to assist at no charge.

Prior to his retirement, he was a fellow of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, a member of the National Board of Medical examiners, and is board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation as well as being certified by the American Academy of Pain management. Dr. Hunter has given seminars or presentations in Jaipur, India, Kyoto Japan, Canada, Havana Cuba and throughout the US including Hawaii and Alaska.

Some of his speeches were given to members of:

American Association for Justice

Neurorehabana, an international conference in Havana Cuba

The New Jersey association for Justice,

Florida Workers Advocates

If you provide notice to defense counsel, he can :

Exposes false defense exams. He watches videotapes or listens to audiotapes of defense exams and provides an analysis for lead counsel explaining what the other side’s expert misrepresented. For an example of an evaluation of a case conducted by Dr. Hunter in which the expert’s exam was videotaped contact us here. This just needs to be a link to business manager email address [email protected]. A typical review project will take 2-4 hours. Example of findings are available upon request.
Practice Pointer: Dr. Hunter also provides a list of footnoted resources to help you prove how the defense expert incorrectly conducted the evaluation.
Redline a report: Dr. Hunter can take the defense report, convert it to word, then insert his thoughts and exhibits into the body of the report. contact us for an example.
Attend a deposition as a non-testifying consultant. This role enables him to be able to instant message you in real time, during a deposition after he is announced (He never attends proceedings unless he is announced) and he can then provide feedback about problems with the doctor’s testimony. When the defense expert provides a medical reference Dr. Hunter goes out, buys it instantly and, during the deposition will email you the reference and highlight the sections where the expert misrepresented the publication. He is incredibly fast at this process. Dr. Hunter requests you provide advance notice that he may attend.
Practice Pointer: You will be sent a link to software that permits you to have Dr. Hunter communicate with you via instant messaging while the deposition is being conducted.
Research issues on damages and causation. For example, he researches medical opinions. When DME’s make blanket statements such as “low speed crashes can’t herniate a disc” within minutes he will email you multiple references to the contrary you can use in deposition.
Practice pointer: Always provide notice in your subpoena that a non-testifying medical consultant may attend the deposition: Also set the deposition for no less than 2 hours. We have found the most successful depositions take 3-4 hours.
He can remote in for mediations.Dr. Hunter explains medical issues to the defense in support of the plaintiff’s case. Contact us for an example here. This just needs to be a link to business manager email address [email protected].
He can attend mock juries and play the role of defense experts. He can do that live, depending on the timing, or remote.
Practice Pointer: Dr. Hunter also provides a list of footnoted resources to help you prove how the defense expert incorrectly conducted the evaluation.

Please note that Dr. Hunter is not and will not practice medicine as part of this process.

About Dorothy Sims

Dorothy has perhaps one of the most unusual practices in the U.S.

Her practice includes numerous other projects and philanthropic work. She is frequently invited to in-house seminars for lawyers and law firms on researching and cross-examining. She has given over 350 speeches internationally on medical/legal issues throughout the world and is often invited as the state keynote speaker. She has spoken in almost every state in the United States including Hawaii and Alaska. She has also been a featured speaker in Paris, France, Jaipur, India, and twice in Kyoto, Japan.

She has authored chapters in books with individuals such as David Ball and Don Keenan as well as Dr. Michael Freeman. Dorothy donates a percentage of her book profits to various organizations including the American Association for Justice and the International Federation for Human Rights. Her book, “Exposing Deceptive Defense Doctors” was a best seller for 3 years in a row and went into reprint status soon after publication, unheard of in the industry. She has also authored two children’s books for parents who are injured. The books are available for free upon request. She has also authored articles in national publications to include the Champion Magazine, Trial Magazine (The American Association for Justice Journal) most recently on the cover of the December, 2015 issue, and Brain Injury Professional.

Ms. Sims teaching lawyers how to cross examine doctors throughout the US.

Dorothy has been on nationally syndicated television programs including

On the Record with Greta Van Susteren

Piers Morgan

Joy Bahar

As well as other state and local television shows.

She’s been featured in an article on the front page of the Wall Street journal and multiple other national and international publications.

She’s been featured in 3 documentaries for her volunteer work in criminal cases and recently worked pro bono on the William Husel murder trial which resulted in exoneration of all counts of murder regarding a doctor prosecuted when he provided compassionate end of life care to his patients.

Dorothy received both her undergraduate and law degree from the University of Florida; and studied international law at Oxford University. She is licensed in the state of Florida, US District Court – Northern District of Florida, US District Court and the Middle District of Florida. She has also cross examined experts in many states throughout the US.

June 7, 2024 Peopil Seminar in Portugal, Attorney Sims teaching on how to prove a brain injury, Attorney Sims teaching how to use AI to European lawyers and Dr. Hunter teaching on how to screen for a brain injury.

For over a decade, Dorothy volunteered time to lobby on behalf of the injured and was the first woman to be elected Chair of the Florida Bar Worker’s Compensation Section in its 22-year history. She also served as President of the Marion County Bar Association.

While practicing law, she began to notice an alarming pattern. Forensic experts hired by the other side were reaching conclusions by (1) misrepresenting the science (2) ignoring the science (3) misrepresenting the facts and/or their examination and/or (4) testifying beyond their own training and education. She realized the only way to combat this bad behavior on the part of the experts was to study and understand the methodology on a granular level. That led her to a ten year self-education program where she:

Had multiple physicals performed upon herself by doctors who trained her how the defense experts were conducting physical exams inappropriately;
Actually take the psychological tests herself that were administered to her client so she could understand first hand what her clients went through and how the test can be manipulated;
Meet with and learn from various test creators including such test creators as Dr. Ralph Reitan, co- creator of the neuropsychological battery, the Halstead Reitan Dr. James Butcher (Co-creator of the MMPI2, the most widely administered psychological battery in the world, and Dr. Richard Frederick, the creator of an internationally used test of effort known as the Validity Indicator Profile;
Reviewed transcripts of defense examinations to search for common misrepresentations;
Conference with doctors to go over defense medical evaluations going over the video of the exam second by second to compare to defense reports for inconsistencies.

The results were shocking. There was rampant fraud in the defense industry. Fraud including:

Claiming to give a test never given;
Misrepresenting the function of the test;
Altering or changing the patient’s answers on psychological tests;
The doctor altering test administration to ensure the patient would fail a test of effort, through no fault of the examinee;
Misrepresenting test scores;
Giving the evaluees clues on cognitive tests so they appeared less impaired;
Altering the scoring to make the evaluee appear less impaired;
Leaving out key scores helpful to the patient;
Failing to actually test for the condition, not asking about it… and then ruling it out.

As a result of Dorothy’s work, she’s been verbally attacked, received a number of death threats and threatened with assault. But also, as a result of her work, she has amassed a treasure trove of vital background information on over l,600 experts commonly used by the defense all over the United States. In fact, this material is listed in her will to go to the American Association for Justice provided that it is given to all members for free. Some experts have over l9,000 pages of bate stamped OCRED and analyzed material including findings of criminal records.

Dorothy began doing additional work in cases involving brain damage and has spoken and published extensively on that topic. She has given over 350 speeches internationally on issues addressed below including Japan, India, Canada and France. She authored a bestselling book on the topic as well co-authoring multiple other books and a number of legal articles and medical articles in peer reviewed medical journals.

She is on the education committee for the American Association for Justice Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group to help teach others the nuances of TBI law. She is also on a committee that is setting up an international seminar in London currently scheduled for the fall of 2023 to also teach our UK and European litigators the medical issues surrounding TBI law.

Ms Sims after hiking 85 miles in northern spain

Dorothy’s Upbringing, Family and Inspirations

Dorothy Sims grew up in Owensboro, Kentucky, where her mother worked for Head Start while her father worked for the phone company. She moved to Florida while in high school. Her mother, who struggled with alcoholism and who joined AA, received her 10 year chip of sobriety before her death.

Dorothy and her grandfather.

Her grandfather, the Kentucky-based John Y. Brown, Sr. and well known trial lawyer, loomed large and was a powerful influence in Dorothy’s childhood. Growing up listening to his stories about the poor victims he represented, Dorothy learned how he took on unpopular cases – representing miners – during strikes against potent mining companies. The 1950’s and ‘60’s were dangerous times and her grandfather put his own life in danger repeatedly on behalf of his clients, poor miners who had no voice. During one trial a deputy hit Brown on the head with a shotgun and knocked him unconscious. His silence was brief however. Brown went on to become a member of the House of Representatives for nearly three decades. There he served as Speaker and as majority floor leader. Dorothy’s grandfather also sponsored the state’s first Civil Rights legislation, in spite of death threats to himself and his family.

Dorothy with Kentucky coal miners.

Dorothy initially represented miners in Kentucky who were denied black lung benefits. Going down into the bowels of a mine in Eastern Kentucky, she felt vibrations as the miners “shot coal” (exploded portions of the face to loosen the coal). Despite wearing a mask, her trip left her coughing and sneezing coal dust for days; leading to a newfound respect for the dreaded pneumoconiosis suffered by miners who had spent decades in the mines. After representing coalminers, Dorothy began representing workers who were injured and denied medical care. She co-founded the Florida Workers’ Advocates – can you make the link operant? the state’s first watchdog over the insurance industry devoted to serving injured – and eventually served as president.

John Y. Brown, Sr meets with Lyndon B. Johnson (36th President of the U.S.)

Her uncle, John Y Brown, Jr., was the former Governor of Kentucky and her cousin, Pamela Brown is a justice correspondent for CNN. Her brother, the former Prosecutor and Judge, Benham J. Sims, is also a lawyer and practices in Kentucky. He was responsible for getting a law passed to permit individuals to more easily expunge their record from minor crimes which has the net result of encouraging employment among the rehabilitated. Her sister in law, Debbie Deweese is a former Judge in Louisville.

Dorothy’s motivation and inspiration to fight for those with a disability is largely influenced by her younger brother, who suffered from Down Syndrome. She saw how he was treated by strangers, sometimes with pity, sometimes with cruelty. Dorothy’s decision to work with the injured and disabled, who often have no voice when pitted against powerful people/organizations, is well founded and no coincidence.

Dorothy typically devotes one day per week to working on cases Pro Bono. If you are a lawyer who believes your client has been abused by an expert, and are on a tight budget, contact Dorothy here. Please send a concise email explaining your case.

Dorothy and her husband have a blended family of 5 children, 3 of whom are attorneys. Two of her sons practice civil rights law and international human rights law in Los Angeles.

Dorothy Volunteering

Volunteering is a part of Dorothy’s practice. She fees the homeless in Ocala, New York, Los Angeles and Paris; and volunteers in a medical clinic in the rural city of western Mexico. She also volunteers in a medical clinic in Nevada and has worked with doctors in India to provide free medications. Travels took her to the Amazon Jungle where she saw firsthand destruction of the jungle by corporations who displaced the native Shuar Indians. She also trekked medications to the Kathmandu region in Nepal.

Discussing neurotrauma with best selling author and public speaker Dr. Oliver Sacks, who authored a number of best selling books, including Awakenings which later became a movie starring Robin Willems.

“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.”

– Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi