SERVICES & PRACTICE AREAS
Civil Forensic
Evaluations
Giving adequate consideration to factors like low intelligence, poor memory and/or dysfunctional executive functioning is often a critical component to getting a case settled or success in the courtroom. Whether plaintiff or defense counsel, when you need to know how an individual’s neuropsychological and mental health come to bare on his or her legal case, an expert criminal evaluation requires only the very best in practice.
Sid Binks & Associates brings psychological and neuropsychological knowledge to the legal arena where the expectation is a board certified level of expertise. With over 20 years of experience, rest-assured you will receive an objective, Independent Neuropsychological Examination (INE) resulting in an expert opinion based on research and grounded in fact. A comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation will assess the presence of a wide variety of diagnosable cognitive impairments, including issues related to attention, learning, memory, executive functioning (planning, reasoning, problem solving), language skills, visuospatial skills and adaptive functioning (activities of daily living). These impairments can arise from many different brain diseases/insults, e.g., traumatic brain injury, concussion, seizure, dementia, brain tumor, stroke, learning disability, and ADHD, among others.
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Evaluation typically includes synthesis of the clinical interview and testing data with historical information gathered from document review (medical/academic/vocational records) and collateral interviewing of family, friends and co-workers.
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Evaluation always includes consideration of neurocognitive malingering.
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Depending upon the referral question, evaluation may also include emotional functioning testing to explore related psychiatric concerns (addiction, anxiety, depression, PTSD, psychosis, mania, etc.).
Evaluation will focus on how neurocognitive impairments may or may not be related to behavior relevant to specific civil suit/legal issues. Brain injury and disease can not only result in cognitive impairment/dementia, but can also result in neurologically-based personality changes including increased aggression, emotional lability, impulsivity, apathy and paranoia. These kinds of changes, in addition to changes related to neurocognition, have wide implications in disability determinations and the civil court arena. You will receive timely verbal feedback of results and, if desired (and depending upon legal strategy), a written report in the form of a summative letter, a more detailed report of findings and expert testimony at deposition/trial. Review of expert opinions offered by opposing counsel (to include reviewing data, depositions and in-trial testimony) is also available.
Typical kinds of evaluations include:
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Evaluations for Malingering & Problems with Effort
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Competency Evaluations (to handle finances, health care, live independently, etc)
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Personal Injury Evaluations (e.g., Head Injury/TBI)
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Fitness for Duty/Workman’s Compensation/Return to Work Evaluations
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Lawsuits involving impaired cognition/neuropsychology
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Impaired Physician Evaluations
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Wrongful Incarceration Evaluations
Sid Binks & Associates is especially focused on how neurocognition impacts these types of forensic concerns. If you already have an expert offering the ultimate opinion in a civil matter, often, the addition of a neuropsychological evaluation can be effectively utilized in support of that opinion.