KW Economics prepares economic damages reports and testimony for civil matters in the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island (D.R.I.), a federal trial court in the First Circuit covering Rhode Island. The economist's method does not change with the venue; what changes is the form and timing of the written disclosure, and the report is built to meet it.
A retained economist's written report in federal court sets out every opinion and the basis for it, lists the records and data considered, attaches the exhibits that support the figures, and states the economist's qualifications, publications, prior testimony, and compensation. The court decides reliability challenges before trial, so the report states its earnings base, growth rate, worklife horizon, and discount rate with sources so that each input can be examined on the papers.
Expert disclosures are exchanged on the schedule the court's scheduling order sets, with rebuttal reports on a shorter clock, so the retention date decides whether the economist has the tax returns, pay records, and the other experts' opinions in hand before the report is due. A deposition of the economist follows the report and tests it line by line, which is why the report is written to stand on its own.
In a diversity matter the court applies Rhode Island substantive law to the measure of damages, while the admissibility of the economist's testimony is decided under the federal rules of evidence.
Rhode Island measures wrongful death by the pecuniary loss to the beneficiaries, computed from the decedent's projected earnings net of personal living expenses and reduced to present value under a method the courts have set out, together with the decedent's own pre-death claims and the survivors' loss of society and companionship, and the statute sets a minimum recovery. Pure comparative fault reduces the award in proportion, the common-law collateral source rule applies, and prejudgment interest on tort awards runs from the date of injury, which makes the interval between injury and judgment part of the economic picture.
A complete statement of every opinion and the basis for it, the facts and data considered, the exhibits that support the figures, the economist's qualifications and publications, a list of prior testimony, and the compensation arrangement, in the form federal practice requires of a retained expert. KW Economics writes every report to that standard whatever the venue, so the same document serves in the D.R.I. and in the Rhode Island courts.
Yes. Engagements are accepted in every federal district, including the District of Rhode Island. The economist prepares the report to the disclosure deadline in the scheduling order, sits for deposition, and testifies at trial where the case requires it, for plaintiff or defense counsel.
The economic method is the same. Federal practice fixes the content of the written disclosure and the timing of the expert exchange, and reliability challenges are decided by the court before trial, so the report states every assumption and its source in a form that can be examined on the papers. In a diversity matter the measure of damages still follows Rhode Island law.
Request a consultation on matters in the D.R.I. or call (201) 343-0700. Plaintiff and defense counsel.