Worked example: Damages Allocation in Louisiana
6 min read
Published April 15, 2026 • By DocketMath Team
Example inputs
Below is a worked example of how DocketMath can allocate damages using Louisiana-aware rules, focusing on damages allocation mechanics rather than legal strategy. This is not legal advice—it’s a practical illustration of how a jurisdiction-configured calculator can structure numbers and assumptions.
Scenario (what we’re modeling)
Assume a plaintiff brings a civil claim in Louisiana seeking damages that include:
- Past damages (already incurred)
- Future damages (expected to be incurred later)
- Economic damages and non-economic damages
We’ll use a simplified set of inputs so the example stays readable while still showing how allocation changes with key variables.
Inputs for the DocketMath “damages-allocation” calculator (US-LA)
Use these as the example inputs:
| Input | Example value | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Louisiana (US-LA) | Activates Louisiana defaults for timing and allocation logic |
| Total damages claimed | $300,000 | The starting “pool” that gets allocated |
| Economic % of damages | 60% | Splits between economic vs. non-economic components |
| Non-economic cap adjustment | 0% | No cap reduction applied in this example (if you use caps/limits, model them explicitly) |
| Past damages portion | 40% | Splits the pool into past vs. future buckets |
| Discount rate (future valuation) | 3.0% | Affects how future damages translate into present value |
| Discount period | 5 years | Determines how future money is discounted |
| Statute of limitations (SOL) window | Default 1-year period applies | Louisiana configuration uses the general/default period described below |
Louisiana timing rule used in this example
DocketMath’s Louisiana jurisdiction settings in this example use the general/default SOL period of:
- 1 year, under La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 9:2800.9.
Also, per the provided note: no claim-type-specific sub-rule was found, so the calculator uses the general/default 1-year period rather than a narrower rule for a specific claim type.
Note: This example uses the general/default SOL period of 1 year shown in La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 9:2800.9 because no claim-type-specific sub-rule was identified for this dataset.
If you’re preparing work product, you’d typically align the “SOL window” input to your own case facts (dates of injury, discovery, and filing), even though the calculator can only model what you enter.
Example run
For this run, we’ll allocate $300,000 using:
- Economic vs. non-economic split: 60% / 40%
- Past vs. future split: 40% past / 60% future
- Future present-value adjustment: discount future damages at 3.0% for 5 years
- SOL: 1 year default included as a timing constraint (modeled, not argued)
Step 1: Split total damages into economic and non-economic
Total damages claimed: $300,000
- Economic (60%):
$300,000 × 0.60 = $180,000 - Non-economic (40%):
$300,000 × 0.40 = $120,000
Step 2: Split into past and future buckets
Past portion: 40% of total
Future portion: 60% of total
- Past damages (40%):
$300,000 × 0.40 = $120,000 - Future damages (60%):
$300,000 × 0.60 = $180,000
At this stage, the buckets are conceptual. Many calculators will carry this structure forward into discounting and final reporting.
Step 3: Discount future damages to present value
Assume the future damages are effectively spread/valued at a single point for simplicity. DocketMath applies the discount factor:
- Discount factor = ( \frac{1}{(1 + r)^n} )
- r = 0.03, n = 5
So:
- Discount factor ≈ 1 / (1.03^5)
1.03^5 ≈ 1.159274
Discount factor ≈ 0.862609
Present value of future damages:
- $180,000 × 0.862609 ≈ $155,269.62
Step 4: Compute present-value total (past + PV of future)
- PV total damages = Past damages + PV future
= $120,000 + $155,269.62
= $275,269.62
Step 5: Include the Louisiana SOL timing constraint (modeled)
DocketMath records the default 1-year SOL period from La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 9:2800.9 as part of the case “eligibility window” inputs.
Because this is a worked example and we’re not applying a real-world filing date, the output doesn’t “win” or “lose” anything—it just shows how a tool can keep the SOL period aligned with calculation inputs.
Warning: An SOL period affects whether a claim can be timely filed, not the arithmetic of how damages are allocated. In DocketMath, it’s modeled as an eligibility/timing parameter, while the money allocations are driven by the damages inputs and discounting settings.
Example output summary (what In DocketMath, this appears as)
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Economic damages | $180,000 |
| Non-economic damages | $120,000 |
| Past damages | $120,000 |
| Future damages (nominal) | $180,000 |
| Future damages (present value) | $155,269.62 |
| Total damages (present value) | $275,269.62 |
| SOL period used (LA default) | 1 year (La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 9:2800.9) |
If you want to run the same scenario yourself, use the calculator here: /tools/damages-allocation.
Sensitivity check
Numbers rarely stay still. This section demonstrates how DocketMath outputs change when you adjust the two most influential allocation knobs in this example: the discount rate and the past/future split.
To test sensitivity, change one high-impact input (like the rate, start date, or cap) and rerun the calculation. Compare the outputs side by side so you can see how small input shifts affect the result.
1) Change discount rate: 3.0% → 5.0%
Keep everything else the same, including $180,000 future damages and 5 years.
- New discount factor = 1 / (1.05^5)
1.05^5 ≈ 1.27628156
Discount factor ≈ 0.783526
PV future damages:
- $180,000 × 0.783526 ≈ $141,034.68
PV total:
- $120,000 + $141,034.68 = $261,034.68
Impact:
- PV total decreases from $275,269.62 → $261,034.68
- Difference ≈ -$14,234.94 (about -5.17%)
2) Change past/future split: Past 40% / Future 60% → Past 60% / Future 40%
Keep discount rate at 3.0% and 5 years.
New amounts:
- Past damages: $300,000 × 0.60 = $180,000
- Future damages: $300,000 × 0.40 = $120,000
PV future:
- $120,000 × 0.862609 ≈ $103,323.65
PV total:
- $180,000 + $103,323.65 = $283,323.65
Impact:
- PV total increases from $275,269.62 → $283,323.65
- Difference ≈ +$8,054.03 (about +2.92%)
3) SOL period note (what changes vs. what doesn’t)
Because this example uses the general/default 1-year SOL period under La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 9:2800.9, changing the SOL period input would primarily affect a timeliness/timing eligibility indicator, not the discounted damages math.
Pitfall: Don’t conflate timing eligibility with damages allocation. A SOL setting can change whether a claim is treated as timely, but it generally won’t change the economic/non-economic breakdown or the present-value discounting unless the tool explicitly couples them (and you’ve entered such coupling inputs).