Fraud and Embezzlement Economic Damages Expert in Pennsylvania

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

Pennsylvania courts and expert standards

Pennsylvania courts ask whether the methodology behind an expert opinion is generally accepted in the relevant professional community and whether the economist is qualified by training and experience to apply it. The methods of forensic economics for lost earnings, worklife, and present value are published and long used, so the examination of a damages report usually turns on its inputs and their support in the record.

Where these cases are heard

Highest court: Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Federal venues: E.D. Pa., M.D. Pa., W.D. Pa. Court system: pacourts.us.

Damages framework

Pennsylvania 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. Interest on a liquidated contract sum runs as of right from the date it was due, and the civil rules add delay damages to bodily injury and death awards. Economic damages are not subject to a general statutory limit, 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 Pennsylvania; 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.

Experts serving Pennsylvania

Attorney guides for fraud and embezzlement cases

Other case types in Pennsylvania

Frequently asked: fraud and embezzlement cases in Pennsylvania

Which Pennsylvania courts hear fraud and embezzlement cases?

Fraud and Embezzlement cases venued in Pennsylvania are heard in the Court of Common Pleas (General jurisdiction; 60 judicial districts; civil, criminal, family, and orphans' court divisions). Final appeals run to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Matters within federal jurisdiction proceed in the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, and Western District of Pennsylvania.

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

Pennsylvania 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. Interest on a liquidated contract sum runs as of right from the date it was due, and the civil rules add delay damages to bodily injury and death awards. Economic damages are not subject to a general statutory limit, 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. Pennsylvania courts ask whether the methodology behind an expert opinion is generally accepted in the relevant professional community and whether the economist is qualified by training and experience to apply it. The methods of forensic economics for lost earnings, worklife, and present value are published and long used, so the examination of a damages report usually turns on its inputs and their support in the record.

More questions about fraud and embezzlement analysis

References

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