Fraud and Embezzlement Economic Damages Expert in Michigan

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

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

A fraud or embezzlement economic claim establishes how much was taken, over what period, by what mechanism, and where it went, and quantifies the loss in a form that supports a civil claim or a restitution figure. Read the full fraud and embezzlement analysis guide.

Michigan courts and expert standards

Michigan courts require the trial judge to act as gatekeeper for expert testimony, asking whether the economist is qualified, whether the opinion rests on sufficient facts and reliable principles and methods, and whether those methods were applied reliably to the case. A damages report meets that inquiry by naming the published source behind every assumption and tying each to the record.

Where these cases are heard

Highest court: Michigan Supreme Court. Federal venues: E.D. Mich., W.D. Mich. Court system: courts.michigan.gov.

Damages framework

Michigan reduces a negligence-based award by the plaintiff's share of fault, and a plaintiff whose share exceeds half loses noneconomic damages while economic damages are only reduced. Interest on a money judgment runs from the filing of the complaint in civil actions generally, and the court reduces future damages to present value under a statutory formula, so the report presents the future stream in the form that formula requires. Economic damages are not subject to a general statutory limit outside specific statutory claims.

How the analysis is built

The same four steps apply to a fraud and embezzlement case venued in Michigan; the damages framework above decides which components enter the total.

  1. Map the scheme's mechanism from the records and identify each transaction that fits it.
  2. Confirm the amounts against bank statements, cancelled checks, and third-party documents rather than the internal books alone.
  3. Trace the diverted funds forward to the accounts and assets they reached, and quantify the consequential losses with the causal link explained.
  4. Separate the amounts established from records, the amounts estimated from patterns, and the amounts that could not be determined.

Attorney guides for fraud and embezzlement cases

Other case types in Michigan

Frequently asked: fraud and embezzlement cases in Michigan

Which Michigan courts hear fraud and embezzlement cases?

Fraud and Embezzlement cases venued in Michigan are heard in the Circuit Court (General jurisdiction; larger civil cases, felonies, domestic relations). Final appeals run to the Michigan Supreme Court. Matters within federal jurisdiction proceed in the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Michigan and Western District of Michigan.

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

Michigan reduces a negligence-based award by the plaintiff's share of fault, and a plaintiff whose share exceeds half loses noneconomic damages while economic damages are only reduced. Interest on a money judgment runs from the filing of the complaint in civil actions generally, and the court reduces future damages to present value under a statutory formula, so the report presents the future stream in the form that formula requires. Economic damages are not subject to a general statutory limit outside specific statutory claims. Michigan courts require the trial judge to act as gatekeeper for expert testimony, asking whether the economist is qualified, whether the opinion rests on sufficient facts and reliable principles and methods, and whether those methods were applied reliably to the case. A damages report meets that inquiry by naming the published source behind every assumption and tying each to the record.

More questions about fraud and embezzlement analysis

References

Request a consultation on fraud and embezzlement cases in Michigan or call (201) 343-0700. Plaintiff and defense counsel.