Commercial Contract Dispute Economic Damages Expert in Massachusetts

By Christopher Skerritt, M.Ed., MBA, Chief of Economic Services · Published · Reviewed

KW Economics prepares economic damages analyses for commercial contract dispute cases venued in Massachusetts: the components the loss claim consists of, the records that drive them, and a present value built to Massachusetts's damages rules and venues. Plaintiff and defense.

A commercial contract damages claim measures the profits a business lost, or the costs it incurred, because the other party did not perform, as the difference between the performed-contract path and what the business actually earned or could have earned by mitigating. Read the full commercial contract dispute analysis guide.

Massachusetts courts and expert standards

Massachusetts courts ask whether the reasoning and methodology behind an expert opinion are reliable, which can be shown either by general acceptance in the profession or by the reliability factors the federal courts use, and whether the witness is qualified by training and experience. Forensic economic methods satisfy that inquiry through their published literature, so the examination usually turns on the inputs and their support in the record.

Where these cases are heard

Highest court: Supreme Judicial Court. Federal venues: D. Mass. Court system: mass.gov.

Damages framework

Massachusetts reduces a negligence-based award by the plaintiff's share of fault and bars recovery once that share exceeds the combined fault of the defendants. Prejudgment interest runs on a tort award from the commencement of the action and on a contract claim from the date of the breach or demand, so the interval between the loss and the judgment is part of every economic figure. Economic damages are not subject to a general statutory limit outside specific statutory claims, and the report separates past from future amounts so the interest computation can follow.

How the analysis is built

The same four steps apply to a commercial contract dispute case venued in Massachusetts; the damages framework above decides which components enter the total.

  1. Establish the but-for revenue from the contract terms, the pre-dispute projections, and the business's own history.
  2. Identify the incremental costs that would have been incurred to earn that revenue so that only the lost margin is claimed.
  3. Analyze actual results after the breach to separate the effect of the breach from market conditions and other causes, and credit mitigation revenue.
  4. Bring past lost profits forward and discount future lost profits at a stated rate that reflects the risk of the earnings stream.

Experts serving Massachusetts

Attorney guides for commercial contract dispute cases

Other case types in Massachusetts

Frequently asked: commercial contract dispute cases in Massachusetts

Which Massachusetts courts hear commercial contract dispute cases?

Commercial Contract Dispute cases venued in Massachusetts are heard in the Superior Court (General jurisdiction; larger civil cases, major criminal cases). Final appeals run to the Supreme Judicial Court. Matters within federal jurisdiction proceed in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

How does Massachusetts's damages framework shape the economic analysis?

Massachusetts reduces a negligence-based award by the plaintiff's share of fault and bars recovery once that share exceeds the combined fault of the defendants. Prejudgment interest runs on a tort award from the commencement of the action and on a contract claim from the date of the breach or demand, so the interval between the loss and the judgment is part of every economic figure. Economic damages are not subject to a general statutory limit outside specific statutory claims, and the report separates past from future amounts so the interest computation can follow. Massachusetts courts ask whether the reasoning and methodology behind an expert opinion are reliable, which can be shown either by general acceptance in the profession or by the reliability factors the federal courts use, and whether the witness is qualified by training and experience. Forensic economic methods satisfy that inquiry through their published literature, so the examination usually turns on the inputs and their support in the record.

More questions about commercial contract dispute analysis

References

Request a consultation on commercial contract dispute cases in Massachusetts or call (201) 343-0700. Plaintiff and defense counsel.