Wrongful Death Expert Services in Indiana
KWVRS provides wrongful death vocational, life care planning, and forensic economic analysis for attorneys handling cases in Indiana.
Overview
Wrongful death cases quantify the economic loss to survivors and the estate resulting from a decedent's death, most commonly as lost earnings, lost fringe benefits, lost household services, and lost personal services or guidance. The vocational component reconstructs the decedent's pre-death earning capacity; the economic component reduces projected losses to present value net of personal consumption.
Vocational and economic impact
For a decedent, the vocational component reconstructs earning capacity at the time of death using education, training, work history, industry trajectories, and labor market data. In some jurisdictions, a claimant spouse's earning capacity is also evaluated where household services or income contributions are at issue.
Damages typically include lost earnings and earning capacity across the decedent's worklife, lost fringe benefits, lost household services, and in some jurisdictions loss of personal consortium, care, guidance, and advice. Projections are reduced to present value using appropriate discount rates and net of personal consumption.
Indiana courts and expert standards
Wrongful Death matters in Indiana are litigated in the state's trial courts, with vocational, life care planning, and economic testimony evaluated under Indiana's expert evidence standard. KWVRS prepares reports and testimony that account for these requirements.
Where these cases are heard
- Circuit Court - General jurisdiction
- Superior Court - General jurisdiction
- Marion County Small Claims Courts - Township courts in Marion County only; contract, tort and landlord-tenant possession cases up to $10,000
Highest court: Indiana Supreme Court. Federal venues: N.D. Ind., S.D. Ind.
Sources: Indiana Judicial Branch, Learn about Indiana's Court System: the trial courts are circuit courts, superior courts and local city or town courts; the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals and the Tax Court are appellate-level courts (reviewed 2026-10-12); Indiana Judicial Branch, Structure of Indiana courts chart: the circuit and superior courts are trial courts of general jurisdiction, and Marion County's small claims courts have limited jurisdiction (reviewed 2026-10-12); Indiana Judicial Branch, Structure of Indiana Courts (text version): city and town courts have limited jurisdiction, handling city or town ordinance violations, misdemeanors and infractions (reviewed 2026-10-12); Indiana General Assembly, Indiana Code (2026), courts and court officers: the township small claims courts of a county containing a consolidated city hear contract and tort cases and landlord-tenant possession cases up to $10,000; the St. Joseph Probate Court is established in St. Joseph County; city and town courts hear ordinance violations, misdemeanors and infractions (reviewed 2026-10-12); Indiana Judicial Branch, Local Rules for St. Joseph County, Indiana (caseload allocation plan effective January 1, 2025): the Probate Court's divisions are Probate and Juvenile, and paternity, juvenile and adoption cases are filed in it, while civil cases other than small claims are heard in the Circuit and Superior Courts (reviewed 2026-10-12)
Attorney guides for wrongful death cases
Other case types in Indiana
Frequently Asked Questions
What is personal consumption and why is it deducted?
Personal consumption is the portion of the decedent's earnings that would have been spent on the decedent's own maintenance rather than provided to survivors. It is deducted so that damages reflect the net economic loss to the survivors, consistent with standard forensic economic practice.
How is lost earning capacity projected for a decedent who had not yet entered the workforce?
For young decedents or those with limited earnings history, economists use education-based and demographic-based earnings tables from Census/CPS data, applied to an expected career path consistent with the decedent's documented abilities and plans.
Are lost household services compensable in wrongful death cases?
In most jurisdictions, yes. Lost household services are valued using time-use survey data and local market wage rates for equivalent services such as childcare, home maintenance, meal preparation, and transportation.
What discount rate is applied to wrongful death damages?
Forensic economists apply discount rates drawn from Treasury yields matched to the projection horizon, often in a net discount rate framework that also accounts for expected wage growth. Jurisdiction-specific rules may apply.
References
- BLS Occupational Employment StatisticsGovernment
- Census Bureau - Current Population SurveyGovernment
- BLS American Time Use SurveyGovernment
- National Center for Health Statistics - Life ExpectancyGovernment
- Indiana Judicial Branch, Learn about Indiana's Court System: the trial courts are circuit courts, superior courts and local city or town courts; the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals and the Tax Court are appellate-level courts (reviewed 2026-10-12)Government
- Indiana Judicial Branch, Structure of Indiana courts chart: the circuit and superior courts are trial courts of general jurisdiction, and Marion County's small claims courts have limited jurisdiction (reviewed 2026-10-12)Government
- Indiana Judicial Branch, Structure of Indiana Courts (text version): city and town courts have limited jurisdiction, handling city or town ordinance violations, misdemeanors and infractions (reviewed 2026-10-12)Government
- Indiana General Assembly, Indiana Code (2026), courts and court officers: the township small claims courts of a county containing a consolidated city hear contract and tort cases and landlord-tenant possession cases up to $10,000; the St. Joseph Probate Court is established in St. Joseph County; city and town courts hear ordinance violations, misdemeanors and infractions (reviewed 2026-10-12)Government
- Indiana Judicial Branch, Local Rules for St. Joseph County, Indiana (caseload allocation plan effective January 1, 2025): the Probate Court's divisions are Probate and Juvenile, and paternity, juvenile and adoption cases are filed in it, while civil cases other than small claims are heard in the Circuit and Superior Courts (reviewed 2026-10-12)Government
Ready to Get Started on wrongful death cases in Indiana?
Contact KWVRS to discuss scope, timing, and the deliverables appropriate to the matter. Plaintiff and defense.