Spinal Cord Injury Economic Damages Expert in West Virginia

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

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

A spinal cord injury economic claim brings together lost earnings and benefits, the household work the person can no longer do, and the present value of a lifetime care plan dominated by attendant care and equipment replacement cycles. Read the full spinal cord injury analysis guide.

West Virginia courts and expert standards

West Virginia trial judges act as gatekeepers for expert testimony in civil cases and ask whether the economist is qualified, whether the method is reliable and accepted in the profession, and whether it was applied reliably to the facts. A damages report meets that inquiry by stating its assumptions and naming the data behind each one.

Where these cases are heard

Highest court: Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. Federal venues: N.D.W. Va., S.D.W. Va. Court system: courtswv.gov.

Outside the civil courts, wage-loss disputes in workers' compensation matters proceed before the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner.

Damages framework

West Virginia's wrongful death action is brought by the personal representative and covers the survivors' sorrow and mental anguish, the decedent's expected income and services, and medical and funeral expenses, with the decedent's own pre-death claims carried in the same recovery. Recovery is barred once the plaintiff's fault exceeds the combined fault of the defendants, statutory limits apply to noneconomic damages in medical professional liability claims where collateral-source payments also reduce the award, and prejudgment interest is available on past special damages such as medical expenses and lost wages.

How the analysis is built

The same four steps apply to a spinal cord injury case venued in West Virginia; the damages framework above decides which components enter the total.

  1. Establish the but-for earnings path from the person's history and occupational data, and project it over a worklife expectancy with stated wage growth.
  2. Compare that path with the post-injury path the work-capacity opinions support, whether no earnings, reduced earnings, or earnings after retraining.
  3. Value fringe benefits and household services, and price the care plan item by item with the cost growth rate and replacement interval appropriate to each category.
  4. Discount every future stream to present value at a stated rate and present home-based and facility-based care scenarios when the plan offers both.

Attorney guides for spinal cord injury cases

Other case types in West Virginia

Frequently asked: spinal cord injury cases in West Virginia

Which West Virginia courts hear spinal cord injury cases?

Spinal Cord Injury cases venued in West Virginia are heard in the Circuit Court (General jurisdiction; one in each of 55 counties; all civil and criminal matters). Final appeals run to the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. Matters within federal jurisdiction proceed in the United States District Courts for the Northern District of West Virginia and Southern District of West Virginia.

How does West Virginia's damages framework shape the economic analysis?

West Virginia's wrongful death action is brought by the personal representative and covers the survivors' sorrow and mental anguish, the decedent's expected income and services, and medical and funeral expenses, with the decedent's own pre-death claims carried in the same recovery. Recovery is barred once the plaintiff's fault exceeds the combined fault of the defendants, statutory limits apply to noneconomic damages in medical professional liability claims where collateral-source payments also reduce the award, and prejudgment interest is available on past special damages such as medical expenses and lost wages. West Virginia trial judges act as gatekeepers for expert testimony in civil cases and ask whether the economist is qualified, whether the method is reliable and accepted in the profession, and whether it was applied reliably to the facts. A damages report meets that inquiry by stating its assumptions and naming the data behind each one.

More questions about spinal cord injury analysis

References

Request a consultation on spinal cord injury cases in West Virginia or call (201) 343-0700. Plaintiff and defense counsel.