Here’s the Reason You Need a Motor Vehicle Accident Vocational Expert

“It was a simple car accident, won’t testimony by eyewitnesses make my case for me?” Not always. In every car accident case, there are really two aspects that matter. 

First, you need to prove the facts of what occurred. That kind of evidence should be presented by fact witnesses, as an eyewitness. Second, you need to prove your damages . That is where things are a little trickier because fact witnesses cannot always tell the whole story with regard to the extent of your injuries, or how your injuries will impact your ability to earn a living in the future. That is where a motor vehicle accident vocational expert comes in. 

Having a vocational expert in your car accident, or another personal injury, case can be vital to proving the extent of your injuries, and the damages you suffered because of them. 

In this article, we will discuss what a vocational expert does, and the impact a motor vehicle vocational expert can have on your case. If you have additional questions about incorporating vocational experts into your personal injury case after reviewing this article, we invite you to contact us at Occupational Assessment Services, Inc. – OAS. We can provide life care planning for lawyers. 

We are one of the most experienced employability and life care planning firms in the United States. To discuss your case, call us at   1-800-292-1919 , contact us at a location near you, or through our online form.

Expert Witnesses Enhance a Motor Vehicle Litigation

When you have a fact witness (again like an eyewitness) testify in a case, they can only testify about what they saw or experienced. An expert witness, however, is brought into a case when the judge or jury needs to learn certain kinds of specialized knowledge to evaluate a case. In other words, an expert witness testifies because he or she has unique knowledge in a particular field and that knowledge is typically beyond an average person’s experience. 

Thus, expert witnesses, in general, are less focused on the facts of a particular incident, but rather have expert proficiency in a particular area, be it scientific or technical. They will then help the judge and/or jury understand certain concepts.

What Does a Vocational Expert Do in a Motor Vehicle Accident Case?

The importance of a vocational expert in a car accident case is usually with regard to damages. The title “vocational” expert indicates that this type of expert has specialized knowledge regarding one’s work, ie., one’s “vocation.” Thus, a vocational expert is studied in topics such as how a person rehabilitates in order to work again after an injury (need for vocational rehabilitation), how much in lost wages a person can suffer due to an injury (understanding lost earning capacity), and how much more it will cost for a person to handle daily life functions (cost of replacement labor for household services). 

So, when it comes to a motor vehicle accident in which you are so injured that you are unable to perform your job prior to the accident, a vocational expert can provide an expert-level opinion on how much in damages you suffered given:

1. Medical bills
2. Long-term rehabilitation, and
3. Lost earning capacity.

It is that last item that personal injury attorneys often place the least emphasis on – because it is traditionally hard to quantify. Vocational experts, however, are able to put real numbers behind a claim of lost earning capacity to make a valid damages claim, and one that reflects the true damages to you.

Connecting Medical Facts with Economic Facts

While it is fairly simple for your attorney to present the cost of medical bills, a vocational expert’s value is in connecting your need for medical treatment with your future economic loss. Thus, while a motor vehicle accident vocational expert is not mandatory for your case, the use of a vocational expert to prove the full extent of your damages after an auto accident would serve to show your true loss over the course of your life.

Let OAS Be the Motor Vehicle Accident Vocational Expert for Your Case

Many attorneys fail to realize the importance of properly documenting damages in a case. Sometimes, all emphasis and energies are placed on the initial hurdle of liability, and the impact of the injury on the client’s ability to work and earn money is ignored. A good damages preparation may help to strengthen a case once liability has been established. To date, vocational experts have been used in a wide variety of cases. Their expertise can benefit from personal injury ,  medical malpractice , product liability ,  workers’ compensation , matrimonial , age discrimination, and wrongful termination cases.

The experts at Occupational Assessment Services, Inc. (OAS) have over forty years of experience documenting the income potential and employment capacity of those with wrongful termination cases, as well as with the underemployed, unemployed, and disabled spouses in many types of cases.

OAS specializes in working with the plaintiff or defense attorney to assist in objectively documenting the economics in a case. From the initial referral to the trial testimony, OAS works with the retaining attorney so that the vocational assessment of the case can be objectively and efficiently presented. 

OAS has served as experts on many multi-million-dollar outcomes including a record-setting $102 million verdict in a NY catastrophic injury case. Through objective consulting, analysis, and vocational testing , we specialize in assisting attorneys in documenting damages.

We strongly believe in the importance of a clear and understandable presentation of the facts. OAS is the leading provider of Vocational Expert and Life Care Planning Services for Plaintiff and Defense attorneys. 

The company specializes in assisting attorneys in evaluating earning capacity in divorce cases and documenting the damages in cases where an individual has been severely injured by providing objective findings on how the injuries affect a persons’ ability to work and earn money, as well as the cost of care required in catastrophic injuries.

OAS is your Vocational Expert & Life Care Planner Nationwide, with offices in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Nevada, and California. 

Occupational Assessment Services, Inc. is one of the most experienced employability and life care planning firms in the United States. To discuss your case, call us at   1-800-292-1919 , contact us at a location near you, or through our online form .