These cases include a wide range of personal injury matters, involving claims for the loss of past and future earning capacity; the loss of household services; the cost of future medical and related care needs; and/or the “life care needs” of an injured plaintiff. Cases involving multi-plaintiff claims, multi-option life care plans, and differential life expectancy assumptions are routinely evaluated.
Methodology
Using data bases developed by Raffa Consulting Economists to calculate historical earnings growth and inflation rates, specific projections are made for each individual element of a claim. In turn, applying an interest or discount rate based upon a long-term U.S. Treasury Bond Portfolio (updated monthly by Raffa Consulting Economists) a present value analysis of each claim is accomplished. This methodology is detailed by Dr. Raffa in the co-authored volumes 9,10, and 11 of Damages in Tort Actions published by the LexisNexis Group.
Catastrophic Claims
Raffa Consulting Economists has developed special expertise in evaluating catastrophic injury claims, including claims brought in large multi-plaintiff actions. Catastrophic injuries resulting from spinal cord/nervous system impairments (including quadriplegia and paraplegia), amputation, burns, head injury, and sensory impairments are routinely evaluated by RCE. The analysis format utilized by RCE provides an item specific present value-analysis of the life care needs of an injured individual. As appropriate, a year-by-year cumulative annual summary of all future and present value equivalents will be provided.