As a vocational expert serving Rhode Island and New England, I provide comprehensive employability assessments and earning capacity evaluations for attorneys handling personal injury, workers' compensation, and disability cases. With extensive experience in vocational rehabilitation and labor market analysis, I deliver objective, evidence-based opinions that support your case strategy.
Vocational expert analysis is the professional evaluation of an individual's ability to work and earn income following injury, disability, or other life-changing events. As a certified vocational expert, I assess functional capacities, transferable skills, labor market conditions, and rehabilitation potential to determine employability and earning capacity. This analysis provides the foundation for calculating economic damages in personal injury, workers' compensation, and disability litigation throughout Rhode Island and New England.
My vocational assessments integrate medical evidence, functional capacity evaluations, educational background, work history, and current labor market data to provide comprehensive opinions on work capability. This multidisciplinary approach ensures that attorneys receive thorough, defensible analyses that address all aspects of vocational functioning and economic loss.
Vocational expert services are essential in numerous legal contexts:
Rhode Island attorneys rely on my vocational expertise to quantify the employment and earnings impact of injuries, disabilities, and other adverse events affecting their clients' work lives.
As your vocational expert, I employ comprehensive methodologies to assess employability and earning capacity, providing clear, evidence-based opinions that strengthen your case presentation.
Rhode Island and New England attorneys choose Skerritt Economics for vocational expert services because:
Severe injuries require comprehensive vocational analysis considering:
Subtle cognitive impairments require specialized assessment of:
Industrial injury cases involve unique considerations:
Issue: 45-year-old union carpenter with L4-L5 fusion following fall from scaffolding
Analysis: Assessed residual functional capacity, identified transferable skills to construction supervision and safety inspection roles, conducted labor market survey showing availability of sedentary positions
Result: Demonstrated $1.2 million in lost earning capacity despite ability to work in alternative occupations
Issue: 38-year-old physician assistant with mild TBI from auto accident experiencing cognitive fatigue and processing delays
Analysis: Neuropsychological testing integration, job task analysis showing inability to maintain patient care standards, vocational testing identifying teaching and consulting capabilities
Result: Established need for career change with significant reduction in earning capacity
Issue: 52-year-old machine operator with bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and cubital tunnel syndrome
Analysis: Functional capacity evaluation, transferable skills analysis limited by education level, labor market survey in local area, vocational rehabilitation planning
Result: Supported successful workers' compensation claim with ongoing vocational rehabilitation benefits
As a Rhode Island-based vocational expert, I provide services throughout New England:
I regularly provide testimony in Rhode Island Superior Court, Workers' Compensation Court, and Federal District Court, as well as courts throughout New England.
My vocational expert experience spans multiple case types and injury categories:
A vocational expert typically needs medical records, functional capacity evaluations, education and training records, detailed work history, earnings documentation, and any vocational testing results. We also review deposition transcripts and may conduct interviews to fully understand the individual's vocational profile and limitations.
Vocational experts analyze pre-injury earnings history and career trajectory, then compare this to post-injury earning capacity based on residual functional abilities, transferable skills, and labor market conditions. We consider factors like job availability, wage levels, probability of employment, and work-life expectancy to calculate economic loss.
Employability refers to the ability to obtain and maintain competitive employment, while earning capacity represents the monetary value of that employment potential. A person may be employable but at a significantly reduced earning capacity due to limitations, need for accommodations, or restriction to lower-paying occupations.
Vocational experts use systematic analysis tools like the DOT (Dictionary of Occupational Titles) and O*NET to identify skills gained from past work that can transfer to other occupations. We evaluate factors like skill level, physical demands, work environment, and industry-specific vs. general skills to identify suitable alternative employment options.
Attorneys should engage a vocational expert early in cases involving work-related losses, ideally after medical stability is achieved but before settlement negotiations. Early involvement allows for comprehensive assessment, identification of rehabilitation needs, and coordination with other experts like economists and life care planners for integrated damage calculations.
Our vocational expert services support attorneys across multiple practice areas. With extensive experience in both vocational rehabilitation and forensic economics, I provide integrated analyses that address all aspects of work-related losses. Whether you need employability assessment for a workers' compensation claim or comprehensive earning capacity analysis for catastrophic injury litigation, I deliver the thorough evaluation and clear testimony necessary for successful case outcomes.
Vocational impact assessment, lost earning capacity, and household services valuation for injury victims.
Learn More →Employability following wrongful termination, discrimination effects, and vocational rehabilitation needs.
Learn More →Permanent disability ratings, vocational rehabilitation planning, and return-to-work feasibility assessments.
Residual functional capacity analysis, transferable skills assessment, and grid rule applications.
Contact us for a consultation about your vocational expert needs. As your vocational expert in Rhode Island, I provide prompt responses, clear fee structures, and reliable litigation support throughout your case. Learn more about our forensic economics services or life care planning services for comprehensive damage analysis.
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