Forensic Economist Qualifications for Colorado Damages Cases

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

Colorado applies a liberal but reliability-based inquiry: the trial court asks whether the economist's principles are reasonably reliable, whether the witness is qualified to apply them, and whether the testimony will help the jury, without requiring general acceptance. A damages report meets that inquiry by showing the published basis for each assumption and its application to the record. The forensic economist qualification is what that inquiry examines: graduate training in economics, finance, or business, a published damages method applied to the record, and a record of reports and testimony.

Recognition and qualification in Colorado

State recognition: Recognized nationally; no state licensure applies. There is no state license for forensic economists to check, so counsel verify the credential with its issuer and review the economist's testimony record directly.

For a matter venued in Colorado, counsel verify the qualification the same way in every venue, because no state licenses forensic economists and there is no Colorado register to check. The elements are the economist's graduate training, the published method behind each component of the report, and the testimony record, and each can be examined directly: the CV, the report's stated sources, and the transcripts of prior depositions. In Colorado, the same elements are what the court weighs when the opinion is challenged, so a report that ties every input to the record and names its data sources answers the qualification question before it is asked.

KW Economics economists apply nationally recognized methods while accounting for Colorado's wage levels, venue, and damages rules.

Colorado courts and venues

Economic damages experts testify in Colorado's courts, where qualification is decided case by case on education, method, and experience rather than on any single credential.

Highest court: Colorado Supreme Court. Federal venues: D. Colo. Court system: courts.state.co.us.

Forensic economists for Colorado matters

KW Economics provides forensic economists for Colorado damages matters, including remote consultation, report preparation, and deposition or trial testimony where the case is venued. Contact us to discuss availability for your matter.

Other credentials in Colorado

Frequently asked: qualifying a forensic economist in Colorado

How do Colorado courts qualify a forensic economist?

Colorado applies a liberal but reliability-based inquiry: the trial court asks whether the economist's principles are reasonably reliable, whether the witness is qualified to apply them, and whether the testimony will help the jury, without requiring general acceptance. A damages report meets that inquiry by showing the published basis for each assumption and its application to the record. Recognized nationally; no state licensure applies. There is no state license for forensic economists to check, so counsel verify the credential with its issuer and review the economist's testimony record directly.

More questions about this credential

References

Request a consultation on Colorado damages matters or call (201) 343-0700. Plaintiff and defense counsel.