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Personal Injury & Accident Claims Expert

We provide economic damage calculation and expert witness testimony for personal injury, workplace, and car accident claims.

If your litigation case involves a car accident, slip and fall, or workers compensation incident, our forensic economist services can help strengthen your case and provide expert witness testimony at trial. The Knowles Group will explain to the judge and jury exactly how the plaintiff’s life is financially impacted by the accident. We can provide valuable testimony to demonstrate the economic impact to the plaintiff. We work with law firms and attorneys all over the country to make accurate representations of economic damages resulting from an accident.

We have over 30 years of experience and have testified in both federal and multiple state courts. We’re one of the top economic consulting firms in the U.S., and we’ll help create an accurate picture of the financial state of the plaintiff before, during, and after the incident.

Economic Damage Calculation for Accident Claims

At The Knowles Group, we specialize in calculating earnings loss and other economic damages that the victim may have suffered as a result of the accident. Our calculations are based on real data – earnings history, life expectancy, education, and more. We use state and federal guidelines, experience, and established best methods to demonstrate the true economic impact due to the unique factors of your case. Our firm can analyze dozens of variables and produce tables, charts, and graphs detailing the damage and hardship. In personal injury and car accident cases, damage calculations are critical in illustrating special damages.

Types of Expert Witnesses in a Personal Injury Claim

When it comes to a personal injury claims, there are three general types of expert witnesses that you may need to hire to prove your case:

  1. Accident reconstruction expert witness
  2. Medical expert witness
  3. Economic expert witness

 

Accident reconstruction expert

These experts are especially important in high-value claims like auto accidents. An accident reconstructionist has special knowledge in determining how an accident took place. They are able to use evidence from the scene to scientifically reconstruct the conditions which caused the accident to happen. These experts often recreate the accident in 3D computer aided design programs or in real life, in order to produce videos and photos for use in trial. An accident reconstructionist may also be an engineering expert, product liability expert, or have other special knowledge relevant to the case. In addition to analyzing the case and creating exhibits for trial, these experts often testify to their findings at trial.

Medical expert witness

Most high-stakes personal injury claims and auto accident cases require a medical expert. Their role is to provide testimony detailing the extent of the victim’s injuries. A medical specialist has seen countless cases with similar injuries, and can explain how the accident may impact the plaintiff for the remainder of their life. This may include estimating recovery time, use of assistive or adaptive devices, ability to work or lift heavy objects, impact to quality of life, and also mental health. Medical experts also provide expert witness testimony at trial in order to convince the jury members that the accident was or was not life-altering to the plaintiff.

Headshot of Eric Knowles, Forensic Economist

Economic expert

The previous two experts are charged with proving causation and impact to quality of life. Neither of these experts can calculate the economic impact of a car crash or workplace injury. A forensic economist is a highly trained professional with special knowledge in calculating lost wages and other economic damages. They are able to analyze dozens of factors that other experts, including accountants, cannot.

An economic expert is able to use past data and formulas to answer complex questions like:

  • What is the economic impact of not being able to work?
  • What is the cost to hire a third party to perform chores like cutting the grass and cleaning the home?
  • What is the future cost of providing driving services for the plaintiff throughout their life expectancy?
  • How much will a person’s future earnings be impacted with significant physical impairments?
  • What is the financial impact to a person’s retirement benefits and expected future earnings if they are not able to work and contribute to it anymore?
  • How can you calculate a person’s earning capacity?

A forensic economist is someone who has the qualifications, credentials, and experience to testify in a court of law in the capacity of an expert witness. The National Association of Forensic Economics defines it as a scientific discipline that applies economic methods and theories to matters contained within a legal framework.

Generally speaking, forensic economics covers the following:

  • The calculation of monetary damages as they pertain to commercial and personal litigation.
  • The statistical analysis of market power, fraud detection, discrimination, or liability.
  • Asset, property, and business evaluations as well as other matters which are subject to legal review.

 

Types of Accident Claims

There are many kinds of accident claims that a forensic economist can assist with:

Personal injury cases

Personal injury claims can range from slip-trip-and-fall to car accident claims. In all cases, the plaintiff may have suffered damages such that an economist will need to be asked to opine on what the individual’s financial picture looked like before and after an accident. This can help determine what the victim may recover in special damages in the car accident settlement. A forensic economist is a critical ally in car accident insurance claims.

Worksite accidents & workers compensation cases

Worksite or industrial accidents are when an employee sustains an injury while on the job. Even something as seemingly safe as an office cubicle can hold multiple hazards that could cause someone to slip, trip, fall, or otherwise injure themselves. Accidents can also occur where boxes are stored too high, file cabinets are not properly secured, or anywhere heavy office furniture can come loose and cause injury.

Construction & trades

Many accident compensation claims stem from the construction trades. Employees can slip and fall on a job site, or a load of construction materials could fall onto them. Repetitive motion job injuries are also responsible for many construction trade accident claims.

The problem with these types of injuries is that they can take many months, years, or decades to manifest themselves. A forensic economist can help determine the overall employment and earnings picture during the loss period.

Car accident claims

Motor vehicle injuries make up a considerable portion of accident claims filed annually. These can also include people who were pedestrians or bicyclists and got hit by a car or suffered injuries as a result of the chain-of-events that took place. Even a whiplash injury could require years or decades of expensive medical treatment and care.

Do you need expert witness testimony for your personal injury case?

Forensic economists in personal injury claims

A forensic economist can help bolster credibility, determine economic losses, and fill in the missing blanks.

Many attorneys will retain expert legal witnesses long before a case goes to trial. In these types of situations, the witness’ expertise allows them to determine critical facts to assist with settlement negotiations prior to trial.

The opposing side may also bring in an expert witness of their own in an attempt to refute the claims of your expert witness. In situations like this, an experienced expert witness is familiar with the tactics that are employed by the opposing side and can help refute their claims by providing additional evidence to the contrary.

This is the just one of many benefits you get from hiring an experienced forensic economist firm such as The Knowles Group. We’ve been testifying in court and helping both plaintiff and defense attorneys make their cases stronger for well over 30 years.

Personal Injury Attorneys: Get a Free Consultation Today

If you’re unsure as to whether you need a forensic accountant or forensic economist for your accident claim, give us a call at (206) 860-9477 or contact us via our website. At The Knowles Group, we can help you accurately determine economic losses and damages.

Our testimony list includes many complicated cases such as real estate, employment,  business losses, asbestos poisoning (mesothelioma), wrongful death, personal injury, and medical negligence. We’ve testified in multiple states and are very familiar with the strategies and methodologies from opposing experts. Contact us today to learn how we can offer our expert forensic economic expertise to your case.

In such cases where catastrophic damage, personal injury, or loss of life are involved, an expert forensic economist can help paint a more complete picture of the past, present, and future earnings of the individual who was injured or killed.

It’s essential to bring in a forensic economist into an accident case so they can help determine the current and future damages to the victim or the victim’s family. Many accident victims will require years or even decades of future medical care. An economist can provide the present value of these future medical bills, which can run into the millions or tens of millions of dollars.