KW Economics prepares economic damages reports and testimony for civil matters in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa (S.D. Iowa), a federal trial court in the Eighth Circuit covering Iowa. 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 Iowa substantive law to the measure of damages, while the admissibility of the economist's testimony is decided under the federal rules of evidence.
Iowa's wrongful death recovery belongs to the estate and is measured by the present value of what the decedent would have accumulated over a normal lifetime net of personal expenses, with the spouse's and children's loss of consortium recovered separately, which makes the economist's net-accumulation projection central. In a personal injury action the jury hears evidence and argument on prior payments and future rights of payment for the cost of necessary medical care, rehabilitation services, and custodial care, other than payments under a state or federal program or from the assets of the plaintiff or the plaintiff's immediate family, together with what the plaintiff paid to secure those payments and any subrogation or indemnification rights attached to them, and then answers special interrogatories on how that evidence affected the verdict. Recovery is barred once the plaintiff's fault exceeds the combined fault of the defendants, and interest on a judgment runs from the filing of the petition on past losses but only from judgment on future damages.
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 S.D. Iowa and in the Iowa courts.
Yes. Engagements are accepted in every federal district, including the Southern District of Iowa. 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 Iowa law.
Request a consultation on matters in the S.D. Iowa or call (201) 343-0700. Plaintiff and defense counsel.