Employment Discrimination Economic Damages Expert in Louisiana

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

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

An employment discrimination economic claim measures the gap between the compensation the employee would have received absent the adverse action and the compensation actually received, as back pay, front pay, and lost benefits net of mitigation. Read the full employment discrimination analysis guide.

Louisiana courts and expert standards

Louisiana courts ask the trial judge to act as gatekeeper for expert testimony, examining whether the economist is qualified, whether the method is reliable and accepted in the profession, and whether it was applied reliably to the facts of the case. An economic damages report answers those questions by tying each input to the record and citing its published sources.

Where these cases are heard

Highest court: Louisiana Supreme Court. Federal venues: E.D. La., M.D. La., W.D. La. Court system: lasc.org.

Damages framework

Louisiana applies pure comparative fault in a negligence-based claim, reducing the award in proportion to the plaintiff's share. Judicial interest runs on a tort award from the date of judicial demand and on a sum owed under a contract from the date it was due. Economic damages are not subject to a general statutory limit outside specific statutory claims, so the report states each loss as of a fixed date and separates past from future amounts so the interest computation can follow.

How the analysis is built

The same four steps apply to an employment discrimination case venued in Louisiana; the damages framework above decides which components enter the total.

  1. Reconstruct the but-for compensation path from the employee's history and the employer's pay practices, including raises, bonus patterns, and benefit accruals.
  2. Compare that path with actual post-action earnings year by year, crediting mitigation from the employee's records or from local wage and unemployment duration data.
  3. Project front pay over the period the record supports for reaching comparable employment, with the loss shown at alternative durations.
  4. Separate back pay, front pay, and benefits, discount the future amounts to present value, and supply the schedule counsel needs for prejudgment interest.

Attorney guides for employment discrimination cases

Other case types in Louisiana

Frequently asked: employment discrimination cases in Louisiana

Which Louisiana courts hear employment discrimination cases?

Employment Discrimination cases venued in Louisiana are heard in the District Court (General jurisdiction; civil and criminal cases at the parish level). Final appeals run to the Louisiana Supreme Court. Matters within federal jurisdiction proceed in the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, and Western District of Louisiana.

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

Louisiana applies pure comparative fault in a negligence-based claim, reducing the award in proportion to the plaintiff's share. Judicial interest runs on a tort award from the date of judicial demand and on a sum owed under a contract from the date it was due. Economic damages are not subject to a general statutory limit outside specific statutory claims, so the report states each loss as of a fixed date and separates past from future amounts so the interest computation can follow. Louisiana courts ask the trial judge to act as gatekeeper for expert testimony, examining whether the economist is qualified, whether the method is reliable and accepted in the profession, and whether it was applied reliably to the facts of the case. An economic damages report answers those questions by tying each input to the record and citing its published sources.

More questions about employment discrimination analysis

References

Request a consultation on employment discrimination cases in Louisiana or call (201) 343-0700. Plaintiff and defense counsel.