RPC prepares vocational evaluations for plaintiffs and reviews vocational evaluations for defendants. Our vocational consultants review the plaintiff’s education and work history to determine pre-injury earning capacity. They work with treating and consulting physicians and other clinicians to determine the impairments the plaintiff has from the event and from other factors that affect the ability to work in specific jobs. RPC’s economists can then consider relevant factors to calculate the discounted present value of any loss of earning capacity.

Detailed Vocational Evaluations

A proper vocational evaluation of a plaintiff has several components. Each is important to determine the pre-injury and post-injury employability of the injured party

• Interview The vocational consultant should interview the plaintiff to obtain their personal history including education, certifications, employers, treating physicians, medical conditions, and other factors affecting ability to work and to perform specific jobs.
• Medical records summary RPC has a staff of experienced legal nurse consultants who will organize and summarize the available medical records to identify pre-injury and post-injury medical conditions that affect past and future ability to work.
•  Consultation with physicians and other clinicians RPC vocational consultants contact treating clinicians to obtain detailed information on physical and cognitive impairments, recommendations for future treatment, the prognosis for change, the precise activity restrictions prescribed and their duration, recommendations for assistive devices, and medications that may affect job functions.
• Vocational tests are administered to measure the individual’s interests, abilities, and aptitudes. RPC vocational consultants are qualified to administer and interpret these tests.
• Transferable skills analysis We use computer software and databases to search the requirements of thousands of jobs to identify alternate jobs, if any, the plaintiff can perform with their impairment, with or without further training or education.
• Labor market survey We use databases and contact employers to find available jobs within a reasonable commuting distance from the plaintiff’s home or residence.
• Identification of reasonable accommodations and assistive devices We work with clinicians to identify technology and accommodations that can increase the range of jobs the individual can perform with impairments.
• Development of a training or education plan Some plaintiffs are candidates for further training or education to increase their post-injury earning capacity. RPC’s vocational consultants will identify the opportunity and collect information on relevant training courses, including admission requirements, location, duration, and cost.

Comprehensive Reports

After completing the vocational evaluation, RPC’s vocational experts present their opinions on the pre-injury and post-injury earning capacity of the plaintiff in a written report. In a joint report or separate report, RPC economists will consider wage growth, fringe benefits, taxes, work life expectancy, and discount rates to calculate the economic damages from any loss of earning capacity.

Review of Vocational Evaluations and Economic Reports

RPC also works with defense counsel and consulting clinicians to review reports from the plaintiff’s vocational and economic experts to verify they have followed proper procedures and have a reasonable basis for their opinions.

Expert Witness Testimony

Plaintiff and defense attorneys have relied on testimony from RPC’s consultants in a variety of personal injury and employment cases. Our vocational experts understand the nuances of legal proceedings and have experience that matches their credentials. RPC’s experts present engaging testimony that clearly answers hypotheticals and details the limitations, earning capacity, and employability of the injured party. Our expert testimony has been accepted in state and federal courts.

What Sets RPC’s Vocational Experts Apart

Our vocational consultants are highly qualified professionals, but they have the additional advantage of being members of a team of professionals. Our full-time staff include life care planners, economists, accountants, and vocational consultants who have been accepted as testifying experts in state and federal courts. We have developed a panel of consulting physicians and other clinicians who are available to provide medical opinions when needed.

Because of the expertise and experience of our team, RPC can deliver vocational evaluations and economic reports that are creditable and thorough. Rather than finding multiple experts for the damages part of the case, RPC offers you a single source. Let us make your case preparation more efficient with a single company you can rely on.

If you need reliable, court-tested vocational evaluations and damages experts, RPC is your one-stop solution.