In a personal injury case, a vocational evaluation is necessary to provide an opinion of post-injury earning capacity.  Typically, a vocational evaluation will require approximately one-half day of interviews and testing.  Michael L. Brookshire & Associates has secured licensing agreements with numerous publishers, allowing us access to a wide range of vocational assessment materials.  From occupational preference assessments and intelligence tests to dexterity evaluations, all aspects of human appraisal are thoroughly covered. The vocational evaluation is an integral and necessary step in formulating an opinion on optimum vocational outcomes.

Once the vocational evaluation is completed, transferable skills analyses, labor market reviews, job analyses, medical record reviews, and deposition transcripts are all used to assist in formulating an opinion on post-injury earning capacity.  It is necessary to draw information pertaining to the injured individual's employment capabilities from as many sources as possible.  A thorough examination of all the available information will be conducted by Mr. Barrett and that information along with the results from the vocational evaluation will be used to formulate an in-depth, well-documented written report which will then compliment the economic analysis of damages.

Mr. Barrett was previously employed as the interim coordinator of student assessment at West Virginia State University where he was responsible for performing quantiative research on student achievement at this land-grant institution.  During his tenure, Mr. Barrett administered various standardized assessments and surveys.  In 1997, he was certified in the administration of the Entering Student Survey, which is a national survey of college freshmen, which is administered nationally in cooperation with the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. 

Mr. Barrett possesses a Master's Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from West Virginia University and is nationally board certified as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and Certified Vocational Evaluator.  Having completed 750 hours of clinical practicum and internship at the West Virginia Rehabilitation Center in Institute, West Virginia, Mr. Barrett has extensive experience working with individuals with a wide range of disabilities.  Coupled with his years of experience in evaluating and analyzing vocational reports from experts across the country and research on the aspects of economic damages, Mr. Barrett has qualified to provide expert witness testimony in the area of vocational evaluation and assessment in various courts in numerous states.

Michael L. Brookshire & Associates also provides consulting services for defense attorneys in personal injury cases. Email or call if you have any questions.