Wrongful Death Economic Damages Expert in Maine

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

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

A wrongful death economic claim measures what the decedent would have contributed to the household over an expected life: earnings and benefits net of personal consumption, household services, and support to each dependent, reduced to present value under the framework counsel identifies. Read the full wrongful death analysis guide.

Maine courts and expert standards

Maine courts ask whether the economist is qualified by training and experience, whether the opinion rests on a reliable foundation, and whether it will help the fact finder, under the state's own reliability inquiry. 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: Maine Supreme Judicial Court. Federal venues: D. Me. Court system: courts.maine.gov.

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

Damages framework

Maine's wrongful death action is brought by the personal representative for the beneficiaries' pecuniary injuries, with separate and limited allowances for loss of comfort, society, and companionship, alongside a survival action for the estate. Recovery is barred once the plaintiff's fault equals or exceeds the defendants', the common-law collateral source rule applies, and prejudgment interest runs from the filing of the notice of claim or complaint.

How the analysis is built

The same four steps apply to a wrongful death case venued in Maine; the damages framework above decides which components enter the total.

  1. Establish the decedent's earnings and fringe benefit base from the tax, wage, and benefit records.
  2. Project the base over a worklife expectancy with a stated wage growth rate.
  3. Deduct personal consumption from published household expenditure data and add household services and support to each dependent over its period.
  4. Discount every future stream to present value at a stated rate and show the sensitivity of the total to the contested assumptions.

Attorney guides for wrongful death cases

Other case types in Maine

Frequently asked: wrongful death cases in Maine

Which Maine courts hear wrongful death cases?

Wrongful Death cases venued in Maine are heard in the Superior Court (General jurisdiction; civil cases, jury trials in major criminal cases). Final appeals run to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. Matters within federal jurisdiction proceed in the United States District Court for the District of Maine.

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

Maine's wrongful death action is brought by the personal representative for the beneficiaries' pecuniary injuries, with separate and limited allowances for loss of comfort, society, and companionship, alongside a survival action for the estate. Recovery is barred once the plaintiff's fault equals or exceeds the defendants', the common-law collateral source rule applies, and prejudgment interest runs from the filing of the notice of claim or complaint. Maine courts ask whether the economist is qualified by training and experience, whether the opinion rests on a reliable foundation, and whether it will help the fact finder, under the state's own reliability inquiry. A damages report meets that inquiry by showing the published basis for each assumption and its fit with the record.

More questions about wrongful death analysis

References

Request a consultation on wrongful death cases in Maine or call (201) 343-0700. Plaintiff and defense counsel.