Sometimes your treatment provider may not feel comfortable offering forensic opinions on your disability claim. In those instances it is acceptable to seek a professional opinion from a forensic specialist- in fact your treatment provider may even advise you to seek such an opinion. Dr. Finnerty is here to help as a psychologist who is an expert on disability and functional impairment. Dr. Finnerty will look at your case and provide an independent opinion related to your functioning; in the case of Veteran’s disability claims he an offer independent opinions on whether or not your difficulties are due to your military service.
Dr. Finnerty does his best to act ethically and within relevant professional guidelines. For example, the Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology Guideline 1.02 notes forensic practitioners “strive for accuracy, impartiality, fairness, and independence.” It notes “forensic practitioners recognize the adversarial nature of the legal system and strive to treat all participants and weigh all data, opinions, and rival hypotheses impartially. When conducting forensic examinations, forensic practitioners strive to be unbiased and impartial, and avoid partisan presentation of unrepresentative, incomplete, or inaccurate evidence that might mislead finders of fact.” Dr. Finnerty’s practices are also consistent with the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct.
Please feel free to reach out to Todd Finnerty, Psy.D. if you need a records review or examination from a psychologist that is related to your disability claim.