Traumatic Brain Injury Economic Damages Expert in Washington

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

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

A traumatic brain injury economic claim measures the earnings, benefits, and household contributions the injury has taken away and reduces the care plan to present value, with the supervision hours and the residual work capacity stated so they can be tested. Read the full traumatic brain injury analysis guide.

Washington courts and expert standards

Washington 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, leaving disputes over the inputs to cross-examination. The methods of forensic economics are published and long used, so the examination of a damages report usually turns on its assumptions and their support in the record.

Where these cases are heard

Highest court: Washington Supreme Court. Federal venues: W.D. Wash., E.D. Wash. Court system: courts.wa.gov.

Outside the civil courts, wage-loss disputes in workers' compensation matters proceed before the Washington Department of Labor and Industries.

Damages framework

Washington pairs a wrongful death action for the beneficiaries' pecuniary loss, which was broadened in recent years to reach more family members, with a general survival action in which the estate recovers the decedent's economic losses, including net future earnings, and a limited survival claim for the decedent's own pre-death suffering. Pure comparative fault reduces the award in proportion, the collateral source rule applies outside medical malpractice where evidence of collateral payments is admissible, statutory limits on noneconomic damages have been held unconstitutional, and prejudgment interest is generally limited to liquidated sums.

How the analysis is built

The same four steps apply to a traumatic brain injury case venued in Washington; the damages framework above decides which components enter the total.

  1. Establish the but-for earnings path from the person's history or, for a young person, from occupational data for the path they were on.
  2. Draw the post-injury path from actual earnings and the work-capacity opinions in the record, and measure the earnings gap over the remaining worklife.
  3. Value household services and family supervision from time-use data and local rates, and price the care plan item by item with medical cost growth.
  4. Discount every future stream to present value at a stated rate and show the total under each supervision and work-capacity scenario.

Attorney guides for traumatic brain injury cases

Other case types in Washington

Frequently asked: traumatic brain injury cases in Washington

Which Washington courts hear traumatic brain injury cases?

Traumatic Brain Injury cases venued in Washington are heard in the Superior Court (General jurisdiction; one in each of 39 counties; all civil, criminal, and domestic matters). Final appeals run to the Washington Supreme Court. Matters within federal jurisdiction proceed in the United States District Courts for the Western District of Washington and Eastern District of Washington.

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

Washington pairs a wrongful death action for the beneficiaries' pecuniary loss, which was broadened in recent years to reach more family members, with a general survival action in which the estate recovers the decedent's economic losses, including net future earnings, and a limited survival claim for the decedent's own pre-death suffering. Pure comparative fault reduces the award in proportion, the collateral source rule applies outside medical malpractice where evidence of collateral payments is admissible, statutory limits on noneconomic damages have been held unconstitutional, and prejudgment interest is generally limited to liquidated sums. Washington 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, leaving disputes over the inputs to cross-examination. The methods of forensic economics are published and long used, so the examination of a damages report usually turns on its assumptions and their support in the record.

More questions about traumatic brain injury analysis

References

Request a consultation on traumatic brain injury cases in Washington or call (201) 343-0700. Plaintiff and defense counsel.