A vocational expert is an authority in the areas of
vocational rehabilitation, vocational and earning capacity, lost earnings, cost of replacement labor and lost ability/time in performing household services. They perform evaluations for purposes of civil litigation, as an aspect of economic damages.
Vocational experts identify what the person could have earned prior to the incident, compared to what they are likely to earn following the incident. Economic experts calculate the value of those earnings over time, so the difference, if any, between the two income streams is clearly understood. Those who act as vocational/economic experts blend the two disciplines, and offer testimony in both arenas.
A vocational "expert" is designated by an attorney as an expert who testifies in court, whereas a vocational "consultant" does not testify. Qualifications to testify in court as an
expert
An expert is somebody who has a broad and deep understanding and competence in terms of knowledge, skill and experience through practice and education in a particular field or area of study. Informally, an expert is someone widely recognized ...
in the field of vocational rehabilitation are fairly strict and related to State certification and licensure. Typically, a
graduate degree
Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor ...
in counseling or psychology plus certification/licensure will suffice.
"Becoming a Vocational Expert"
SocialSecurity.gov, Retrieved on 26 February 2016 Ultimately, the rules of evidence
The law of evidence, also known as the rules of evidence, encompasses the rules and legal principles that govern the proof of facts in a legal proceeding. These rules determine what evidence must or must not be considered by the trier of fa ...
in the jurisdiction presiding over the civil case
Case or CASE may refer to:
Instances
* Instantiation (disambiguation), a realization of a concept, theme, or design
* Special case, an instance that differs in a certain way from others of the type
Containers
* Case (goods), a package of relate ...
prevail.
See also
*Economic damages
At common law, damages are a remedy in the form of a monetary award to be paid to a claimant as compensation for loss or injury. To warrant the award, the claimant must show that a breach of duty has caused foreseeable loss. To be recognized at l ...
*Forensic economics Forensic Economics as defined by the National Association of Forensic Economics (NAFE) is the scientific discipline that applies economic theories and methods to matters within a legal framework. Forensic economics covers, but is not limited to:
* t ...
* forensic economist
References
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External links
AREA, the American Rehabilitation Economics Association
IARP
the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals
ABVE, the American Board of Vocational Experts
Legal professions