Vocational Evaluations, a nuanced and intricate process unfolds, encompassing an array of standardized assessments that are thoughtfully curated to uncover and assess specific constructs of paramount interest. These evaluations span through a wide spectrum of dimensions including intellectual capacity, achievement levels, aptitudes, work interests, and personality traits, all work to develop a panoramic representation of an individual’s vocational picture.

An earning capacity evaluation is performed in cases in which it is necessary to determine the impact of an injury or incident on an individual’s employment and earning potential. An earning capacity evaluation is usually performed in instances where an individual is no longer able to return to his or her customary employment (e.g. due to an alleged personal injury or wrongful termination) and the individual’s mitigation earning capacity evaluation, if any, must be determined and then compared to his or her earning capacity absent injury or incident.

Consultation may be provided on a forensic case even when I am not retained as an expert witness. Consultation services vary on a case by case situation, but typically involve a records review in order to offer preliminary guidance about a plaintiff’s (or claimant’s) employment and/or earning potential, particularly the impact of a specific injury or incident on his or her ability to work and earn money.

Records Review

A comprehensive records review constitutes an integral and indispensable facet within the realm of virtually every independent vocational and/or rehabilitation economic evaluation. It serves as a pillar, shaping the foundation upon which well-informed decisions and tailored recommendations can be established.

An essential facet within vocational evaluation, the Job Analysis procedure is undertaken to discern the fundamental characteristics associated with a specific occupation or job role.

Embedded within this analysis are crucial components that collectively shape the identity of the worker in question. These components encompass both the tangible aspects of the work performed and the intrinsic characteristics required to execute the tasks effectively. When dissecting the components of work performed, the analysis ventures into the worker’s interactions with data, people, and tangible elements. It explores the methods and techniques that are systematically followed and executed. The machines, tools, equipment, and work aids utilized in the execution of tasks come under scrutiny, as do the materials, products, subject matter, or services that are generated as a result of the worker’s endeavors.

The analysis delves into the multifaceted components of worker characteristics. These attributes converge to facilitate and enhance successful job performance. They encompass a spectrum of factors, including the individual’s general educational development, specific vocational preparation, aptitudes, temperaments, interests, physical demands, and environmental conditions.

Labor Market Analysis is regularly completed as part of assessing a client’s or evaluee’s employment and earning potential. Labor Market Analysis may involve the gathering of secondary data (typically at the occupational level) via referral to reliable employment and wage data sources such as the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics as well as relevant state workforce agencies such as the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Labor Market Analysis may also involve the gathering of primary data (typically at the job/position level) via obtaining information about current openings from job listings and from conducting labor market surveys involving direct contact with employers. Information commonly sought as part of this research includes but is not necessarily limited to occupational/job prevalence, job availability, starting pay, work hours (full- or part-time), benefit offerings, physical and mental demands, and educational/experiential requirements.

A written report; which includes a detailed explanation of my analysis and findings will be prepared as a result of the service I was hired to complete. The written report will usually include a description of the assessment of the evaluee’s employment potential and specifics about the rehabilitation plan that has been designed to assist him or her in returning to suitable gainful employment. In a forensic context, depending on the type of case in which I am retained, the written report will include a listing all of records reviewed as part of the evaluation process, a description of the assessment of the evaluee’s employment and/or earning potential (e.g. via multiple activities such as a transferable skills analysis, labor market analysis and earning capacity evaluation), and conclusions about the degree of vocational disability and/or economic loss, if any, the evaluee has sustained based on all available information. All references reviewed and relied on as part of an evaluation are also identified at the end of a clinical or forensic report.

Transferable Skills Analysis emerges as a strategic compass, guiding individuals towards alternative avenues of employment that leverage their acquired expertise. These skills, meticulously honed through past employment experiences, serve as a versatile toolkit that individuals can wield to pivot seamlessly into new roles. The profound essence of Transferable Skills Analysis lies in its ability to unlock job placement alternatives that require little to no vocational training, offering immediate prospects for employment.

Expert witness testimony will be provided by Cheryl L. Andrews, as necessary via a deposition or trial appearance (aside from the testimony she regularly provides in federal disability hearings with the Social Security Administration’s Office of Hearings Operations). When testifying, Mrs. Andrews recognizes the importance of effectively communicating to a trier of fact the key vocationally-relevant issues in a case that influence an individual’s employment opportunities and earning capacity. Regardless of whether retained by plaintiff or defense counsel in a case, Cheryl perceives her primary role as an expert witness to be that of an educator to the trier of fact and makes every effort to present to a judge or jury an incisive account of his forensic analysis and findings.