Workplace injuries
Lost earnings and earning capacity following workplace accidents.
Personal Injury
Lost wages, earning capacity, medical-cost projections, and lifetime economic damages.
A forensic economist quantifies the financial losses an injury imposes across a plaintiff's working life.
Personal-injury damages typically include past and future lost wages, lost earning capacity, future medical costs, and the value of household services that can no longer be performed. The available categories and the methods used to quantify them depend on the plaintiff's pre-injury circumstances and the requirements of the jurisdiction.
Types of cases include
Motor vehicle
Damages from auto, trucking, and other transportation incidents.
Medical malpractice
Economic damages from medical errors and inadequate care.
Premises liability
Slip-and-fall, negligent security, and other premises injuries.
What we provide
Independent economic analysis available to plaintiff or defense counsel.
Our work centers on quantifying past and future lost earnings, lost earning capacity, future medical costs, and lost household services using methods accepted by federal and state courts. Where life-care plans, vocational reports, or medical opinions are available, the economic analysis incorporates them; where they are not, the methodology relies on the plaintiff's own work history, sector wage data, and standard wage-growth and present-value methods.
Reports are written to satisfy FRCP 26(a)(2)(B), supported by deposition and trial testimony as needed. Closely related work appears on the wrongful-death page.
Note: We do not provide legal advice. Retaining counsel identifies the applicable legal framework; we apply accepted economic methods to quantify losses.
Common questions
What counsel asks before retaining an economic expert.
What is the difference between lost wages and lost earning capacity?
Lost wages refer to the income the plaintiff lost from the date of injury through the present. Lost earning capacity, by contrast, measures the reduction in the plaintiff's ability to earn income in the future, even if they were not employed at the time of the injury. The two categories are distinct, and the data and methods used to calculate each depend on the facts of the case.
How does a forensic economist calculate future medical costs in a personal injury case?
Future medical costs may be based on a life care plan, medical records, or other sources that identify the plaintiff's anticipated treatment needs. We then estimate the cost of those future needs and reduce them to present value. The specific approach depends on the available information and the requirements of the case.
What discount rate is used to calculate the present value of future losses?
The discount rate converts future losses into a present value. We may use various approaches, and the appropriate method depends on the jurisdiction, the type of loss, and the facts of the case. The approach used is disclosed and explained in the expert report.
How are fringe benefits valued in a personal injury damages calculation?
Fringe benefits may include, but are not limited to, health insurance, retirement contributions, and the employer's share of payroll taxes. They are valued based on the information available in each case. Lost fringe benefits can be a meaningful component of total economic damages.
What is the role of a forensic economist versus a vocational expert in personal injury litigation?
A vocational expert evaluates the plaintiff's functional limitations and identifies post-injury employment options. We calculate the economic value of lost earning capacity. The two disciplines address different aspects of the damages analysis.
Where do your economists practice?
Our economists are based in Wisconsin and California. We have particular depth of experience in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and California, but regularly accept engagements throughout the United States. We provide expert economic analysis nationwide. Logan Kelly has provided expert testimony in federal and state courts across multiple jurisdictions; both economists are available for deposition and trial as needed.
Practice scope Federal and state courts nationwide.