Fraud and Embezzlement Economic Damages Expert in Missouri

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 Missouri: the components the loss claim consists of, the records that drive them, and a present value built to Missouri'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.

Missouri courts and expert standards

Missouri courts screen expert testimony for reliability: the judge asks whether the economist is qualified, whether the opinion rests on sufficient facts and reliable principles and methods, and whether those methods were reliably applied to the case. A damages report meets that inquiry by stating its assumptions and naming the source of every rate and table.

Where these cases are heard

Highest court: Missouri Supreme Court. Federal venues: E.D. Mo., W.D. Mo. Court system: courts.mo.gov.

Damages framework

Missouri applies pure comparative fault in a negligence-based claim, reducing the award in proportion to the plaintiff's share. Interest on a liquidated contract sum runs from the date of demand, while prejudgment interest in tort turns on a written settlement offer that the judgment then exceeds. 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 the sums that were due from the amounts that had to be projected.

How the analysis is built

The same four steps apply to a fraud and embezzlement case venued in Missouri; 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 Missouri

Frequently asked: fraud and embezzlement cases in Missouri

Which Missouri courts hear fraud and embezzlement cases?

Fraud and Embezzlement cases venued in Missouri are heard in the Circuit Court (General jurisdiction; 46 judicial circuits; all civil, criminal, domestic, and probate matters). Final appeals run to the Missouri Supreme Court. Matters within federal jurisdiction proceed in the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Missouri and Western District of Missouri.

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

Missouri applies pure comparative fault in a negligence-based claim, reducing the award in proportion to the plaintiff's share. Interest on a liquidated contract sum runs from the date of demand, while prejudgment interest in tort turns on a written settlement offer that the judgment then exceeds. 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 the sums that were due from the amounts that had to be projected. Missouri courts screen expert testimony for reliability: the judge asks whether the economist is qualified, whether the opinion rests on sufficient facts and reliable principles and methods, and whether those methods were reliably applied to the case. A damages report meets that inquiry by stating its assumptions and naming the source of every rate and table.

More questions about fraud and embezzlement analysis

References

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