Motor Vehicle Accident Economic Damages Expert in North Dakota

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

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

A motor vehicle accident economic claim ranges from a documented period of lost pay to lifetime earnings, household services, and care losses after a catastrophic crash, and the analysis is scaled to the injury the record describes. Read the full motor vehicle accident analysis guide.

North Dakota courts and expert standards

North Dakota admits expert testimony liberally: the court asks whether the economist is qualified by training and experience and whether the opinion will help the fact finder, and leaves the weight of the testimony to cross-examination rather than screening its methodology in advance. An economic damages report is therefore tested on its inputs at deposition and trial, which is why it states each assumption and its source.

Where these cases are heard

Highest court: North Dakota Supreme Court. Federal venues: D.N.D. Court system: ndcourts.gov.

Outside the civil courts, wage-loss disputes in workers' compensation matters proceed before the North Dakota Workforce Safety and Insurance.

Damages framework

North Dakota pairs a wrongful death action for the damages to the surviving spouse, children, or parents with a survival action for the estate, and a statutory limit applies to noneconomic damages in health care malpractice claims while economic damages are unlimited. Recovery is barred once the plaintiff's fault equals or exceeds the combined fault of the defendants, economic damages are reduced after verdict by collateral-source payments other than those the plaintiff purchased or that carry a subrogation right, and prejudgment interest is generally limited to sums that were certain when the loss occurred.

How the analysis is built

The same four steps apply to a motor vehicle accident case venued in North Dakota; the damages framework above decides which components enter the total.

  1. Document the earnings history, the date the person left work, and any return to work at full or reduced capacity.
  2. Project the but-for earnings over a worklife expectancy with a stated wage growth rate and compare it with the post-injury path.
  3. Value fringe benefits from plan documents or published employer cost data, household services from time-use data, and future care from the life care plan.
  4. Discount each stream to present value at a stated rate and present the alternative scenarios where the return-to-work date or capacity is disputed.

Attorney guides for motor vehicle accident cases

Other case types in North Dakota

Frequently asked: motor vehicle accident cases in North Dakota

Which North Dakota courts hear motor vehicle accident cases?

Motor Vehicle Accident cases venued in North Dakota are heard in the District Court (General jurisdiction; 7 judicial districts across 53 counties). Final appeals run to the North Dakota Supreme Court. Matters within federal jurisdiction proceed in the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota.

How does North Dakota's damages framework shape the economic analysis?

North Dakota pairs a wrongful death action for the damages to the surviving spouse, children, or parents with a survival action for the estate, and a statutory limit applies to noneconomic damages in health care malpractice claims while economic damages are unlimited. Recovery is barred once the plaintiff's fault equals or exceeds the combined fault of the defendants, economic damages are reduced after verdict by collateral-source payments other than those the plaintiff purchased or that carry a subrogation right, and prejudgment interest is generally limited to sums that were certain when the loss occurred. North Dakota admits expert testimony liberally: the court asks whether the economist is qualified by training and experience and whether the opinion will help the fact finder, and leaves the weight of the testimony to cross-examination rather than screening its methodology in advance. An economic damages report is therefore tested on its inputs at deposition and trial, which is why it states each assumption and its source.

More questions about motor vehicle accident analysis

References

Request a consultation on motor vehicle accident cases in North Dakota or call (201) 343-0700. Plaintiff and defense counsel.