Personal Injury Evaluations
An independent method for answering four questions: how the person functioned before, what changed, why, and what care is needed now.
A personal injury neuropsychological evaluation is designed to avoid bias so the report can show the true nexus between an injury and any disability. It is the same evaluation whether plaintiff counsel, defense counsel or an insurer makes the referral. The findings determine the conclusions, not the other way around.
1. Pre-Injury Baseline
Every conclusion depends on knowing where the person started. Time is taken to understand functioning before the injury, including:
- Work history and responsibilities
- Home functioning and daily activities
- Social engagement
- Medical history and health status prior to injury
- Developmental competencies
Baseline information comes from the interview, records and, where available, school, employment and medical documentation. A careful baseline protects everyone: it keeps the evaluation from blaming the injury for long-standing difficulties, and from missing real losses in someone who was functioning well.
2. Causation
The evaluation considers the severity of distress the event was likely to cause, the areas of resiliency and impairment that followed, and the likely causes of the person's current psychological and cognitive functioning. Alternative explanations are weighed openly: earlier injuries, medical conditions, substance use, medication effects, chronic pain, depression, anxiety and stressors unrelated to the event.
3. Prognosis
Findings are set against the person's history and the medical record to estimate their future status: whether symptoms are likely to keep improving, level off, or continue to limit work and daily life.
4. Treatment Needs
A core aim of each evaluation is to identify the evidence-based treatment pathways with the best chance of restoring what was lost, such as cognitive rehabilitation, psychotherapy or other care, and the person's future need for care. These recommendations are written for rehabilitation providers as well as for counsel and the court.
The Evaluation Process
Phase I: Baseline & Background Functioning
Interview and record review covering pre-injury work, home, social, medical and developmental history.
Phase II: In-Person Comprehensive Testing
One full day of standardized neuropsychological batteries for cognitive ability, memory, attention, executive functioning, language, fine motor skills, and emotional and behavioral functioning.
Phase III: Feedback & Interpretation
Review of the test findings, medical records and prognosis, with feedback in person or by video.
Phase IV: Written Report
A detailed report of all data, interpretations and recommendations, for use by counsel, the court and rehabilitation providers.
Manhattan Office:
353 Lexington Ave,
New York, NY 10016
Contact
Phone
332-232-3696
IN PERSON AND/OR VIDEO APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE
Contact Us
Attorneys, claims professionals and injured individuals can use this form to describe the matter and request a consultation. We'll respond as soon as possible.