Motor Vehicle Accident Economic Damages Expert in Oregon

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

Oregon courts and expert standards

Oregon courts apply a multi-factor reliability inquiry of their own to expert testimony, asking whether the method is accepted in the profession, whether it has been tested and reviewed, and whether the economist applied it to the facts of the case, with qualification resting on training and experience. A damages report meets that inquiry by showing the published basis for each assumption and its fit with the record.

Where these cases are heard

Highest court: Oregon Supreme Court. Federal venues: D. Or. Court system: courts.oregon.gov.

Outside the civil courts, wage-loss disputes in workers' compensation matters proceed before the Oregon Workers' Compensation Division.

Damages framework

Oregon's wrongful death statute gathers the estate's and the beneficiaries' claims into one action brought by the personal representative: the decedent's pre-death losses and suffering, medical and funeral expenses, the beneficiaries' pecuniary loss, and their loss of society and companionship. Recovery is barred once the plaintiff's fault exceeds the combined fault of the defendants, the court may reduce an award after verdict by collateral-source payments other than insurance the plaintiff purchased, federal benefits, and sources with a reimbursement right, and prejudgment interest is generally not available on unliquidated injury damages.

How the analysis is built

The same four steps apply to a motor vehicle accident case venued in Oregon; 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 Oregon

Frequently asked: motor vehicle accident cases in Oregon

Which Oregon courts hear motor vehicle accident cases?

Motor Vehicle Accident cases venued in Oregon are heard in the Circuit Court (General jurisdiction; 27 judicial districts; civil, criminal, family, and probate matters). Final appeals run to the Oregon Supreme Court. Matters within federal jurisdiction proceed in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon.

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

Oregon's wrongful death statute gathers the estate's and the beneficiaries' claims into one action brought by the personal representative: the decedent's pre-death losses and suffering, medical and funeral expenses, the beneficiaries' pecuniary loss, and their loss of society and companionship. Recovery is barred once the plaintiff's fault exceeds the combined fault of the defendants, the court may reduce an award after verdict by collateral-source payments other than insurance the plaintiff purchased, federal benefits, and sources with a reimbursement right, and prejudgment interest is generally not available on unliquidated injury damages. Oregon courts apply a multi-factor reliability inquiry of their own to expert testimony, asking whether the method is accepted in the profession, whether it has been tested and reviewed, and whether the economist applied it to the facts of the case, with qualification resting on training and experience. A damages report meets that inquiry by showing the published basis for each assumption and its fit with the record.

More questions about motor vehicle accident analysis

References

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