Wrongful Death Expert Services in Maryland

KWVRS Editorial Team. Last updated 2026-10-12.

KWVRS provides wrongful death vocational, life care planning, and forensic economic analysis for attorneys handling cases in Maryland.

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.

Maryland courts and expert standards

Wrongful Death matters in Maryland are litigated in the state's trial courts, with vocational, life care planning, and economic testimony evaluated under Maryland's expert evidence standard. KWVRS prepares reports and testimony that account for these requirements.

Where these cases are heard

Circuit Court - General jurisdiction; major civil cases, more serious criminal cases, and juvenile and family law cases such as divorce, custody and child support
District Court - Civil cases up to $30,000, misdemeanors, motor vehicle, landlord-tenant

Highest court: Supreme Court of Maryland. Federal venues: D. Md.

Sources: Maryland Judiciary, About the Maryland Court System: the Supreme Court of Maryland is the highest court and the Appellate Court of Maryland the intermediate appellate court; circuit courts generally handle more serious criminal cases and major civil cases, including juvenile and other family law cases such as divorce, custody and child support; the Orphans' Court handles wills, estates and other probate matters (reviewed 2026-10-12); Maryland Judiciary, Maryland's Judicial System: the circuit courts are the trial courts of general jurisdiction (reviewed 2026-10-12); Maryland Judiciary, District Court of Maryland: landlord-tenant cases, replevin actions, motor vehicle violations, misdemeanors and certain felonies; exclusive jurisdiction in civil claims of $5,000 or less, and concurrent jurisdiction with the circuit courts in claims above $5,000 but less than $30,000 (reviewed 2026-10-12); Maryland General Assembly, Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article, District Court civil jurisdiction: contract and tort actions in which the debt or damages claimed do not exceed $30,000 (reviewed 2026-10-12); Maryland Judiciary, Orphans' Court: Maryland's probate court, which presides over the administration of estates (reviewed 2026-10-12)

Attorney guides for wrongful death cases

Other case types in Maryland

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

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