Use of the Earning Capacity Assessment Form-2 (ECAF-2) in Young Adult Cases: An Overview and Case Study

The only standardized, peer-reviewed instrument developed to facilitate vocational experts’ assessments of claims ofloss of earning capacity, the Earning Capacity Assessment Form-2 (ECAF-2), has documented its validity and reliability properties over three decades. Its application in claims of loss of earning capacity in cases involving pediatric and young adult evaluees, according to the test developer, can be especially facilitative. Before presenting a case-application featuring a young adult, the authors describe the ECAF-2, summarize corresponding psychometric properties, and present peer reviews of the ECAF-2. An expanded analysis of the ECAF-2’s application, performed by a vocational expert who is also a psychologist, follows. This analysis demonstrates the instrument’s capacity to synthesize science and refined assessment to evaluate and quantify loss of earning capacity damages.