Accurate Results, Unsupported Conclusions: Why Toxicology Interpretation Matters

WHEN AN ACCURATE TOXICOLOGY RESULT LEADS TO AN UNSUPPORTED CONCLUSION

A toxicology report can be analytically accurate and still be interpreted incorrectly.

In forensic investigations, identifying a drug and measuring its concentration are only the beginning of the scientific assessment.

A confirmed positive result does not automatically establish:

• When the substance was administered or consumed.

• Whether the individual was impaired at a particular time.

• Whether the detected concentration caused or contributed to an injury or death.

• Whether the findings are consistent with therapeutic use, misuse, or another exposure scenario.

These questions require careful consideration of specimen type, collection timing, pharmacokinetics, drug interactions, individual variability, and the circumstances surrounding the case.

Even with comprehensive records, some questions cannot be answered with scientific certainty.

For attorneys, the critical question is not simply whether the laboratory result is accurate. It is whether the expert's interpretation is scientifically supported by the available evidence.

⚖️ THE TAKEAWAY: Analytical accuracy and interpretive validity are two different standards. Both matter when toxicology evidence is presented in court.

A number is a finding. Its meaning requires science.