Forensic Consulting & Expert Testimony
Dr. Leonard Matheson and his colleagues have provided decades of forensic rehabilitation consulting and expert services to attorneys, law firms, insurers, employers, and other professionals throughout North America and Europe. With more than 50 years of experience in employee selection, disability assessment, functional capacity evaluation, work capacity evaluation, and occupational rehabilitation, our team brings an uncommon depth of clinical, academic, research, and practical experience to the issues at hand.
Dr. Matheson has been instrumental in developing occupational rehabilitation standards and practices adopted in North America, Asia, and Europe, including work hardening, functional capacity evaluation, and work capacity evaluation. His work has contributed to the development of rehabilitation practices and standards used throughout the field of occupational rehabilitation and industrial rehabilitation.
As a member of Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) committees responsible for developing formal accreditation standards for industrial rehabilitation programs, and later serving as a CARF trustee for five years, Dr. Matheson has extensive knowledge of rehabilitation standards of care and professional practice. He has also provided post-professional education to several thousand occupational therapists, physical therapists, physicians, psychologists, rehabilitation counselors, and vocational evaluators.
Forensic Rehabilitation Consulting for Attorneys
Dr. Leonard Matheson and his colleagues assist attorneys and insurers in understanding complex rehabilitation and disability issues and in evaluating the strengths and limitations of rehabilitation-related evidence. Depending on the needs of a case, forensic consulting services may include:
- Review of medical, rehabilitation, vocational, and employment records
- Review and interpretation of functional capacity evaluations and work capacity evaluations
- Evaluation of assessment methods, procedures, and conclusions
- Analysis of rehabilitation needs and potential functional limitations
- Estimation of lost earning capacity
- Review of rehabilitation plans and recommendations
- Consultation regarding standards of care and professional practice
- Identification of key issues, inconsistencies, and areas requiring additional investigation
- Consultation regarding rehabilitation-related aspects of a case
- Preparation of written opinions and expert reports
- Deposition and trial testimony
- Expert testimony regarding functional capacity evaluation, work capacity evaluation, industrial rehabilitation, and related rehabilitation practices
Evidence-Based Forensic Consulting
Our approach is rooted in evidence and informed by both research and extensive clinical experience. Effective forensic consultation involves more than clinical expertise alone. It requires careful analysis of the available evidence, appropriate application of established standards and practices, and the ability to clearly explain the rationale behind professional opinions.
Our consultants evaluate rehabilitation and disability-related evidence within the context of established clinical and professional practices. The goal is to identify what the evidence supports, where limitations or inconsistencies may exist, and what additional information may be necessary to reach a well-supported professional opinion.
A Team of Experienced Rehabilitation Consultants
For decades, Dr. Matheson has trained and mentored rehabilitation professionals who have developed their own extensive clinical, academic, and professional expertise. This experience provides access to a broader range of specialized knowledge than a single-consultant model.
When appropriate, we can match a case with a consultant whose education, clinical experience, research background, and area of expertise best fit the issues involved. This team approach allows attorneys and insurers to access specialized rehabilitation knowledge while maintaining the high standards of evidence-based practice that have characterized our work for decades.
Arrange a Forensic Consultation
A brief initial review of a case, followed by a telephone or video consultation, is often an efficient way to identify key issues, determine whether additional review or evaluation is warranted, and identify potential resources.
Dr. Leonard Matheson and his colleagues are available to attorneys, law firms, and insurers throughout the United States and Canada for forensic case consultation, record review, independent evaluation, written opinions, deposition, and expert testimony.
For more information or to discuss a potential case, contact us.