Center News and Events

News and Events

Damages Report Leads to Significant Settlement for Injured Worker

An economic-damages analysis performed by Center for Forensic Economic Studies economists helped a severely injured worker reach an $8.2 settlement with the owner of a construction site and an engineering company responsible for site safety.

The worker, a pipe layer who was crushed between an excavator machine and a cement manhole, is permanently disabled. Center economists analyzed damages to the worker at the request of Michael O. Pansini of Philadelphia's Pansini & Mezrow, the worker's attorney. Center economists put the worker's economic damages at more than $3 million. The economic losses include lost future earnings, medical costs and lost services.

A plaintiff's memorandum submitted prior to mediation stated that the case had a value of $15 million to a Philadelphia jury when the value of pain, suffering and loss of life's pleasures were added to the purely economic loss.

The matter, Goodman v. T.H. Properties, reportedly settled after two mediation sessions. An account in the Legal Intelligencer, Philadelphia's legal newspaper, stated that defendant T.H. properties had filed for bankruptcy in the spring of 2009, and the bankruptcy court had placed a $9 million cap on recovery.

Chad L. Staller to Speak at Litigation Management Conference

Chad L. Staller, J.D., M.B.A., M.A.C., president and senior economist at the Center for Forensic Economic Studies, has been selected to speak at the 2010 Annual Conference of the Council on Litigation Management (CLM). Mr. Staller is slated to speak on the topic “Defending a Damages Claim.”

The 2010 Annual Conference of the Council on Litigation Management will be one of the largest, fully inclusive litigation-defense industry conferences in 2010. It will be held March 24-26 in Ponte Vedra, Florida, and will feature approximately 150 speakers. The event is expected to draw attendees from around the world. Registration for the conference is now open at www.litmgmt.org/annual-conference.

The Council is a nonpartisan alliance of thousands of insurance companies, corporations, general counsel, risk managers, claims adjusters and attorneys. Through education and collaboration, its goals are to create a common interest in the representation by firms of companies, and to promote and further the highest standards of litigation management in pursuit of client defense.

Markham Joins Center

James Markham, an economist, attorney and former insurance-claims professional, has joined the Center as a Senior Economist.

In addition to providing analysis and testimony on damages in commercial, employment and injury litigation, he will consult on insurance bad-faith issues.