RPC Vocational Evaluation Consultants
Hiral Patel
MHS, CRC, CVE, CLCP
Consultant
Michael Scullin
MHS, CRC, LRC, CLCP
Consultant
Gretchen Bakkenson
MA, C.R.C., C.L.C.P.
Consultant
Elizabeth Wheeler
M.Ed., LPC, LRC, CRC, CLCP
Consultant
Bruce Bloom
MEd, CRC
Consultant
Lost earnings and lost earning capacity are often a major component of the economic damages in a personal injury case. The process for calculating loss of earning capacity requires first determining pre-injury earning capacity and then determining post-injury earning capacity. In most cases, having a vocational evaluation is a crucial element in determining both pre-injury and post-injury earning capacity.
A vocational evaluation is a process to predict or estimate work behaviors and vocational potential. Vocational evaluators use multiple methods, tools and approaches to provide accurate vocational evaluations and assessments. Vocational assessments focus on the injured person’s interests, aptitudes, physical capabilities and their established work history. A vocational assessment includes review of medical records, a clinical interview with the injured person, and review of detailed educational and employment records.
RPC Vocational Evaluations Services
RPC’s personal injury team of Certified Vocational Evaluators and Certified Rehabilitation Counselors provide the following expert analyses to determine the pre-injury and post-injury employability of the injured party:
- Review of injured party’s educational and medical records.
- Vocational assessment – analysis of aptitudes, educational attainment and potential, and work history.
- Expert reports and testimony.
- Job requirements and employability assessment – analysis of medical limitations, retraining possibilities and adaptive technology.
- Transferrable skills analysis.
- Job and labor market evaluation to identify available, appropriate jobs for the injured party
- Rehabilitation plans.
- Definition of reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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.
For more information, contact Athenna Dill, Personal Injury Case Manager, 512.371.8005, adill@rpcconsulting.com.
RPC Vocational Evaluation Blogs
Expert Life Care Planning & Vocational Evaluation Services for Trucking and Auto Litigation
In auto and commercial truck collision cases, the economic consequences of catastrophic injury or death can be among the most complex and heavily litigated parts of a claim. At RPC, we specialize in delivering both Life Care Plan and Vocational Evaluation reports tailored to the needs of trucking and auto litigation whether you represent plaintiffs or defendants.
Common Flaws in Plaintiff Vocational Assessments
As certified rehabilitation counselors, we review and critique the vocational opinions of other certified rehabilitation counselors prepared for the plaintiffs in personal injury litigation. To do this we apply specific standards that are generally defined by information in the Rehabilitation Counselor’s Handbook, in Vocational Assessment: Evaluating Employment Potential, and best practices. This blog discusses common ways certified rehabilitation counselors may not adhere to these best practices.
The Importance of a Vocational Expert in Calculating Loss of Earning Capacity
Loss of earning capacity is often a major element of economic damages. In personal cases when the plaintiff alleges a significant loss of earning capacity due to physical or cognitive impairments from an injury, a vocational expert can reliably determine what, if any, post-injury jobs the plaintiff can perform and the earnings from those jobs.