Wrongful Termination Economic Damages Expert in New York

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

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

A wrongful termination economic claim measures what the employee lost when the employment ended, as back pay, front pay, and lost benefits, and how much of that loss has been or should be replaced by other work. Read the full wrongful termination analysis guide.

New York courts and expert standards

New York courts ask whether the methodology behind an expert opinion is generally accepted in the relevant professional community and, separately, whether the economist applied it reliably to the facts of the case; qualification rests on training and experience. Forensic economic methods for lost earnings, household services, and present value are published and long used, 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: Court of Appeals. Federal venues: S.D.N.Y., E.D.N.Y., N.D.N.Y., W.D.N.Y. Court system: iapps.courts.state.ny.us.

Damages framework

New York applies pure comparative fault in a negligence-based claim, reducing the award in proportion to the plaintiff's share. Interest before judgment runs as of right on a contract claim from the earliest date the damages were incurred and in a wrongful death action from the date of death, while a personal injury award carries interest only from the verdict. Economic damages are not subject to a general statutory limit, and larger future damage awards are converted to structured payments by the court, so the report presents the future stream year by year as well as in present value.

How the analysis is built

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

  1. Build the but-for compensation path from the pay history and the employer's pay and promotion practices, including the benefit accruals that would have continued.
  2. Compare it with the replacement earnings actually received, or with a reasonable job-search duration and replacement wage level drawn from local occupational data.
  3. Calculate pension and deferred compensation losses from the plan terms and equity losses from the award schedule.
  4. Discount the future components to present value at a stated rate and present back pay, front pay, and benefits separately.

Experts serving New York

Attorney guides for wrongful termination cases

Other case types in New York

Frequently asked: wrongful termination cases in New York

Which New York courts hear wrongful termination cases?

Wrongful Termination cases venued in New York are heard in the Supreme Court (General jurisdiction trial court for major civil cases and felonies; one in each county), the County Court (Outside New York City; felonies and mid-sized civil cases), and the Court of Claims (Claims against New York State). Final appeals run to the Court of Appeals. Matters within federal jurisdiction proceed in the United States District Courts for the Southern District of New York, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, and Western District of New York.

How does New York's damages framework shape the economic analysis?

New York applies pure comparative fault in a negligence-based claim, reducing the award in proportion to the plaintiff's share. Interest before judgment runs as of right on a contract claim from the earliest date the damages were incurred and in a wrongful death action from the date of death, while a personal injury award carries interest only from the verdict. Economic damages are not subject to a general statutory limit, and larger future damage awards are converted to structured payments by the court, so the report presents the future stream year by year as well as in present value. New York courts ask whether the methodology behind an expert opinion is generally accepted in the relevant professional community and, separately, whether the economist applied it reliably to the facts of the case; qualification rests on training and experience. Forensic economic methods for lost earnings, household services, and present value are published and long used, so the examination of a damages report usually turns on its inputs and their support in the record.

More questions about wrongful termination analysis

References

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