Workers' Compensation Economic Damages Expert in Minnesota

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

KW Economics prepares economic damages analyses for workers' compensation 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 workers' compensation economic analysis values the future indemnity and medical benefits at issue in a settlement, measures the wage loss that determines a benefit, or quantifies the loss in a third-party action, each structured to the question the compensation system asks. Read the full workers' compensation 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.

Compensation forum: Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, Workers' Compensation Division. Third-party actions arising from the same injury proceed in the civil courts listed above, and the report separates what the compensation system pays from what the civil claim adds.

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 workers' compensation case venued in Minnesota; the damages framework above decides which components enter the total.

  1. Assemble the pre-injury wage base from the employer's records and tax documents.
  2. Establish the post-injury earnings path from actual earnings or the work-capacity opinions, and measure the loss over the applicable worklife with wage growth.
  3. Value future indemnity streams with stated mortality and discount assumptions, and grow and discount future medical by category when a treatment projection exists.
  4. Separate the amounts the compensation system pays from the components a third-party claim adds, and reconcile the two so the same facts support both.

Attorney guides for workers' compensation cases

Other case types in Minnesota

Frequently asked: workers' compensation cases in Minnesota

Which Minnesota courts hear workers' compensation cases?

Workers' Compensation 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 workers' compensation analysis

References

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