Vocational Experts: Determining Wage Earning Capacity

The Vocational Expert provides information to the court on the capabilities of individuals by documenting what jobs a person can perform, if any, whether these jobs exist in an individual’s local area, and what these jobs pay. Essentially, the Vocational Expert offers to the court a person’s wage earning capacity, considering their physical and psychological limitations, their age, education, and past work. These factors are critically important in determining employability and level of potential wage loss. The Vocational Expert provides this information in a variety of situations, including personal injury, divorce, employment discrimination, disability determination for Workers’ Compensation, Social Security, Veteran’s Administration, and pension funds, as well as issues related to Title I of the American’s with Disabilities Act.

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Our Services

Personal Injury

Employability Assessments document what jobs a person can perform if any, how many of these jobs exist in a geographical area, and what these jobs pay given a person’s education/ training, past work, and functional limitations.

Family Law/Divorce

Employability Assessments document a spouse’s earning potential in terms of jobs that can be performed, how many exist in their geographical area, and their rate of pay. This results in a determination of wage earning capacity that can be used to calculate both spousal and child support.

Employment Discrimination

Employability Assessments document the plaintiff’s ability to obtain “comparable employment” within a specified period of time. The plaintiff in an employment discrimination case has the burden to document employability through a “good faith” job search.
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We provide expert testimony regarding:

Personal Injury, Domestic Law/Divorce, Employment Discrimination, Disability Determination for Workers’ Compensation, Social Security, Veterans’ Administration, and Pension Funds,  Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA):

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Our Staff

Bruce Growick

brucegrowick@gmail.com

Bruce S. Growick, Ph.D.

Dr. Bruce Growick is a Retired Professor of Rehabilitation Services at The Ohio State University where he taught courses, advised students, and conducted research in disability determination and vocational rehabilitation for over 30 years. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and Columbia University, and has published widely in the field of rehabilitation, especially in the area of rehabilitating injured workers. During a two-year leave of absence from The Ohio State University (1989-1990), Dr. Growick was Director of the Rehabilitation Division of the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. He has also been a Presidential Appointee under President Bush to the U.S. Access Board (2002-2006). Dr. Growick is a former editor of the Journal of Forensic Vocational Analysis, the official publication of the American Board of Vocational Experts. He is also a Past President of the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals, and is currently a vocational expert for various federal and state agencies, including local courts.

Cities Served:

Columbus, Newark, Mansfield, Marion, Marysville (i.e., Central Ohio and elsewhere)

John R. Finch, Ph.D.

Dr. John Finch has over 30 years experience in placing persons with mental and physical limitations in competitive employment. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a doctorate in Rehabilitation Services. Dr. Finch has served as the Director of the Rehabilitation Division of the Oho Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and as Vice President of a Community Vocational Rehabilitation Agency. He has taught graduate level courses for Ohio State, University of Dayton, and Bowling Green State University. He has served on the editorial board of the Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling. Dr. Finch currently is a vocational expert for governmental agencies and the courts.

Cities Served:

Lancaster, Circleville, Chillicothe, Marietta, Athens, Portsmouth (i.e., Southern Ohio)

John Finch

jfinch2317@gmail.com

Heidi Peterson

heidipetersoncrc@gmail.com

Heidi Peterson, CRC

Heidi Peterson is a certified rehabilitation counselor (CRC), credentialed by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification, who has experience in vocational rehabilitation and disability determination of persons with disabilities for over 20 years. In her extensive career, Ms. Peterson has provided rehabilitation services to, and evaluated the vocational and employability potential of those individuals with physical, developmental, psychological, and catastrophic injuries.

As an expert, Ms. Peterson served as a Vocational Expert for the State of Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation by providing impartial vocational assessment of highest level of employability and future earning capacity in the local labor markets. As a recognized authority in her industry, Ms. Peterson has been an approved rehabilitation/vocational provider for the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation and for the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Vocational Rehabilitation.

Cities Served:

Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Youngstown, Sandusky, Toledo (i.e., Northern Ohio)

Carl W. Sabo, Ph.D.

Carl W. Sabo, Ph.D., has worked in the field of vocational rehabilitation for over 33 years as a practitioner (engaged in vocational assessments, and career counseling), manager, and educator. He is currently on faculty at Wright State University and the Director of the Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling program.

Cities Served:

Dayton, Cincinnati, Hamilton, Springfield, Lima (i.e., Western Ohio)

Carl Sabo, Ph.D.

carlsabo3@gmail.com