Revisiting the Energy Capital Corp. v United States Case Causation It is important for the research and literature in our field to advance. Books, articles, and presentations help us improve and perfect the work we provide to the courts. It is also important that we review the history of our field to remind us “why we do things the way we do.” When reviewing the Energy Capital Corp. v United States case, financial experts will find several discussions regarding calculating lost profits that continue to provide a guide for other court opinions. This article will review three of those discussions:…
-
-
A Unique Take on Causation Experts are becoming aware of how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected lost profit analyses that include 2020 and 2021. The pandemic and the slow recovery have created separate causations which may or may not become the proximate cause of a damaged business’ loss. For this reason, the effects of COVID-19 must be considered as an alternative causation to lost profits. The lockdowns across the country, the shuttering of non-essential businesses, and the overall fear which gripped the nation even as the economy was reopening caused a loss of revenue and profits to many businesses and…
-
From Beginning to End The authors of this article discuss what happens when credit card data is stolen and personal identifiable information is stolen. They recount how this information is used and sold on the dark web and the issues that arise when damages are claimed. The case of Target Corporation Data Security Breach Litigation, Attias et al. v. Carefirst, Inc., and Wawa provides context and insight on what must be proven and how damages are calculated. Ever ponder what happens when credit card data is stolen? I am not referring to the theft of your credit card from a…
-
After the COVID-19 Pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic put a strain on the U.S. and global economies as well as individual lives throughout the world. As much as most people would like to put 2020 behind us, experts will have to continue to review financial returns from 2020 in the historical data for businesses claiming to have been injured by wrongful acts in 2021 and the future. As much as an expert would like to disregard the 2020 results, questions need to be asked as to how the injured business’ market and customers were affected by the pandemic and what level…
-
Moving Forward During COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic has brought difficulties and major lifestyle changes for most of us. This is particularly true for the business world. Some firms have been negatively impacted. Some businesses have benefitted from the change in our lifestyles. Because causation is an important consideration in commercial damages cases, experts assigned to estimate lost profits must consider the impact of COVID-19 on a business or industry when calculating damages for 2020 and 2021. Courts are aware of the impact COVID-19 has had on the economy and the public. This article addresses issues experts should consider when assessing…
-
Lost Profits and Loss of Business Value—Differences and Correlation in Terms of the Harmful Impact to Plaintiff’s Claims When a plaintiff suffers, or believes to have suffered, economic damages as a result of a defendant’s actions in a civil matter he/she and their attorney are faced with determining the amount of economic damage suffered. A damages remedy is provided to restore the plaintiff to the same economic position they were in prior to the act. The selection of the appropriate economic damage is a factual one based on various elements including causation and timing. While this may appear relatively straightforward,…
-
Often the Link Between Damages and Causation Even with established liability, a plaintiff seeking damages must be able to calculate damages with reasonable certainty and demonstrate a causal link between the defendant’s acts and the plaintiff’s injury. The concept of causation is simple—did a defendant’s wrongful act cause the plaintiff’s damages? Proving causation, however, is not always as simple. Many times, damage experts simply assume causation. However, courts sometimes reject a finding on causation, and therefore the resulting damages, when an expert fails to consider alternative factors that could have caused or contributed to the plaintiff’s damages. Accordingly, a damage…
-
Principles, Methods, and Applications Everett P. Harry, III and Jeffrey H. Kinrich assembled 45 authors, chosen for their expertise in lost profits damages, and contributed and co-edited this comprehensive lost profits damages “how to” book. The authors pay tribute to Robert L. Dunn, among others, for his vision in identifying the need for this book. The book marks an attempt by the authors to provide a single-source reference for practitioners who are tasked with selecting an appropriate methodology for determining lost profits, carrying out the analysis, and potentially defending their work during proceedings. In this book review, we provide an…
-
The Danger of Not Considering Other Potential Sources of Harm To recover lost profits in commercial damages litigation, three standards must be met: proximate cause, foreseeability, reasonable certainty. While all three are important, proximate cause does not always receive a great deal of consideration among experts. Although the question of causation is generally left to the trier-of-fact, financial experts not addressing other potential factors for declines in sales or profitability as a part of their analysis can find themselves excluding from testifying. This is because courts have found the failure to consider causation to be a flaw in the expert’s…
-
A help or hinderance? On July 1, 2013, FASB issued exposure drafts calling for public commentary on three proposals that address private company stakeholder concerns. Two proposals involve accounting for identifiable intangible assets and goodwill acquired in business combinations. In this article, Mark Zyla analyzes the proposed changes, including potential concerns, and their far-reaching impact on the industry, as well as private and (in 2014) public companies.