Personal Injury & Emotional Distress Evaluations
What the evaluation covers
Causation and change — whether, and how much, psychological functioning has declined since the injury or event.
Pre-existing conditions — functioning before the injury, established through clinical interview, prior records, and collateral sources.
Diagnosis — current mental health symptoms, measured through standardized psychological testing and clinical interview.
Validity — whether reported symptoms are consistent with the clinical picture, using validated measures designed to detect exaggeration or fabrication.
Our evaluation process
We structure these evaluations using the five-stage model developed by Goodman-Delahunty and Foote (2013), a widely cited framework for evaluating causation and damages in personal injury and discrimination cases. It organizes the evaluation around five time periods relative to the alleged incident:
Pre-incident functioning — psychological baseline before the alleged event, from clinical interview, prior records, and collateral sources.
Time of incident — the circumstances of the event itself and the person's immediate response.
Post-incident period — how functioning changed in the period following the event.
Current status — psychological functioning at the time of the evaluation, assessed through testing and interview.
Future prognosis — anticipated course of recovery or ongoing impairment.
Each stage draws on records review, collateral interviews, and standardized testing, including validity measures to assess the consistency of reported symptoms.
Source: Goodman-Delahunty, J., & Foote, W. E. (2013). Using a five-stage model to evaluate workplace discrimination injuries. Psychological Injury and Law, 6(2), 92–98. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12207-013-9154-y
FAQs
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Either plaintiff's or defense counsel. The evaluation is conducted independently regardless of which side retains it.
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he evaluation provides an objective clinical opinion on psychological functioning and causation — it's one piece of evidence among several. How it fits into a case is a question for your attorney.
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The evaluator's role is to reach an independent clinical opinion, not to advocate for either side. The same standards and tests apply regardless of who retained the evaluation.
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It varies by case complexity and record volume. However, you can expect at least 2-3 interview and testing sessions with a psychologist.
The Elara approach
Our expert forensic psychologists have years of experience evaluating and diagnosing mental health disorders and applying clinical concepts to legal issues. Together, we have evaluated thousands of individuals who have been arrested and charged with various offenses. We approach every case with objectivity, thoroughness, and compassion toward all examinees, no matter their allegations.