VOCATIONAL EXPERT:
Richard H. Andersen, M.S., C.V.E., C.R.C., C.D.M.S., of VECTOR, Inc.
CASE BACKGROUND:
Plaintiff, a 17 year old female, suffered injuries the month of her high school graduation when her car collided with a police car. She sustained a traumatic brain injury, multiple sacral fractures, multiple left lower rib fractures, and acute traumatic splenic rupture. Due to the young age of Plaintiff, Andersen’s focus turned not only to her achievements, but also those of her parents. He discovered that the plaintiff’s parents held graduate degrees. Her parents were also successful professionals, owning and operating nine restaurants. They planned to divest themselves of ownership of these restaurants and transfer the ownership to Plaintiff and her older brother.
SITUATION:
The female child sustained birth injuries resulting in Erb's palsy, affecting the right arm. Medical opinion concluded: "there will not be any improvements" and she "will not be able to perform bimanual tasks". Andersen's opinion considered that the child's inability to perform bimanual tasks restricted her to sedentary work in the future. Sedentary work comprises only 10% of the jobs in the U.S. economy, severely limiting the child's access to the labor market. Further, since 80% of the jobs require bimanual coordination, she is even more severely limited in her ability to locate appropriate work.
At the time Richard Andersen interviewed the child and her parents, she was three years old. The parents reported behavior problems along with extreme limitations in activities of daily living, including difficulty with age-appropriate dressing and eating functions.
Andersen opined that she would have had the average pre-injury earnings of either a high school graduate or a female with vocational training. He also determined she would require vocational rehabilitation services costing between $27,000 and $35,000 throughout her lifetime. Finally, he determined she would have a 23% to 60% probability of employment, based on education, poor access to appropriate jobs and the severity of her disability.
ABOUT RICHARD ANDERSEN:
Richard Andersen holds national certifications as a Rehabilitation Counselor, Vocational Evaluator and Disability Management Specialist, with 37 years experience in vocational rehabilitation. He has also testified in Superior Court in 10 California counties. VECTOR, Inc. specializes in vocational rehabilitation counseling, disability research and forensic rehabilitation services, including vocational expert testimony on personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death, and harassment matters. The firm, founded in 1975, serves both plaintiff and defense attorneys, providing the link between the physician and the economist to precisely determine damages.
