Medical Malpractice Economic Damages Expert in Minnesota

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

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

A medical malpractice economic claim measures the earnings, benefits, household services, and care costs the injury added to the outcome the patient would have had with proper care, as the causation opinions in the record define it. Read the full medical malpractice analysis guide.

Minnesota courts and expert standards

Minnesota courts ask whether a method is generally accepted in the relevant professional community and whether it was reliably applied in the particular case, with the witness qualified by training and experience. The published methods of forensic economics meet the first question, 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: Minnesota Supreme Court. Federal venues: D. Minn. Court system: mncourts.gov.

Outside the civil courts, wage-loss disputes in workers' compensation matters proceed before the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, Workers' Compensation Division.

Damages framework

Minnesota's wrongful death action is brought by a trustee for the pecuniary loss to the surviving spouse and next of kin, a measure the courts read to include the value of the decedent's counsel, guidance, and aid, and a personal injury claim survives to the estate only when the death was caused by something other than the injury. Recovery is barred once the plaintiff's fault exceeds the defendant's, awards are reduced after verdict by collateral-source payments except where a subrogation right exists and offset by the premiums the plaintiff paid for them, and preverdict interest runs from the commencement of the action or a written settlement demand.

How the analysis is built

The same four steps apply to a medical malpractice case venued in Minnesota; the damages framework above decides which components enter the total.

  1. State the but-for path the causation opinions support: what the patient would have earned, for how long, and what care the underlying condition would have required regardless.
  2. Build the injured path from actual post-injury earnings, the work-capacity opinions, and the incremental care plan.
  3. Measure each component as the difference between the two paths, projected over the applicable life or worklife expectancy with stated growth.
  4. Discount the streams to present value and present the loss under each apportionment or life expectancy scenario the physicians offer.

Attorney guides for medical malpractice cases

Other case types in Minnesota

Frequently asked: medical malpractice cases in Minnesota

Which Minnesota courts hear medical malpractice cases?

Medical Malpractice cases venued in Minnesota are heard in the District Court (General jurisdiction; 10 judicial districts; all civil, criminal, family, and probate matters). Final appeals run to the Minnesota Supreme Court. Matters within federal jurisdiction proceed in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.

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

Minnesota's wrongful death action is brought by a trustee for the pecuniary loss to the surviving spouse and next of kin, a measure the courts read to include the value of the decedent's counsel, guidance, and aid, and a personal injury claim survives to the estate only when the death was caused by something other than the injury. Recovery is barred once the plaintiff's fault exceeds the defendant's, awards are reduced after verdict by collateral-source payments except where a subrogation right exists and offset by the premiums the plaintiff paid for them, and preverdict interest runs from the commencement of the action or a written settlement demand. Minnesota courts ask whether a method is generally accepted in the relevant professional community and whether it was reliably applied in the particular case, with the witness qualified by training and experience. The published methods of forensic economics meet the first question, so the examination of a damages report usually turns on its inputs and their support in the record.

More questions about medical malpractice analysis

References

Request a consultation on medical malpractice cases in Minnesota or call (201) 343-0700. Plaintiff and defense counsel.