How to run Damages Allocation in DocketMath for Illinois

Step-by-step

Run this scenario in DocketMath using the Damages Allocation calculator.

This guide walks you through running Damages Allocation in DocketMath for Illinois (US-IL) using jurisdiction-aware rules. The goal is to help you turn case facts into a structured damages allocation workflow—without relying on guesswork.

1) Open the tool and select Illinois

1. Go to DocketMath’s Damages Allocation calculator: /tools/damages-allocation
2. Select the jurisdiction **US-IL (Illinois)

Why this matters: DocketMath uses jurisdiction settings to apply the correct defaults—especially timing rules that can affect which damages periods you include.

2) Confirm the Illinois “default” limitations rule (5 years)

For Illinois, the relevant general/default limitations period provided for this workflow is:

• 5 years under 720 ILCS 5/3-6 (general statute of limitations for certain civil actions within the section)

Important: The materials you provided did not surface any claim-type-specific sub-rule. That means you should use this 5-year general/default period unless you have separate authority indicating a different limitations rule applies to your specific claim type.

What to check in the tool:

• Look for a limitations period setting, “use default limitations,” or a place where the tool shows the active limitations configuration.
• Confirm it shows 5 years and references 720 ILCS 5/3-6.

3) Enter your key dates (and understand how they control the “damages window”)

Damages allocation depends heavily on which time period is eligible. Enter dates in the order that matches how the tool asks for them, such as:

• Date of the event / accrual trigger (often treated as the start point)
• Filing date (or another end-point date, depending on the workflow)
• Any other date fields DocketMath requests (for example, an “as of” date)

How outputs change:

• If you use a later “as-of” date (or an earlier “start/accrual” date), the eligible damages window can expand.
• If you use an earlier end-point, the eligible window can shrink.
• With a 5-year default window, the eligible period is capped according to the limitations framework reflected in 720 ILCS 5/3-6—unless the tool is configured to use a different rule (not indicated by the provided materials).

4) Enter the damages components you want allocated

Next, capture the damages categories you plan to allocate using the fields in DocketMath’s damages-allocation calculator.

Commonly, you’ll enter:

• Compensatory components (often tied to time segments or categories of conduct)
• Other monetary components supported by the calculator
• Either category totals (if your workflow starts from aggregates) or component inputs (if the calculator supports detailed allocation)

Best practice: If the calculator provides separate fields for multiple categories, enter them explicitly rather than combining everything early. Allocation works best when categories map cleanly to the calculator’s input structure.

5) Run the allocation using the calculator flow

Once your jurisdiction and inputs are in place:

1. Verify the limitations basis is the Illinois default 5-year rule (per 720 ILCS 5/3-6).
2. Run the allocation calculation.
3. Review the output breakdown:

   • Category-level totals
   • Any time-segment/eligible-period view the tool provides

What to expect in the output:

• A damages allocation result that reflects:

  • The date inputs you chose
  • The damages-window eligibility constrained by the 5-year default
  • The category/component amounts you entered

6) Validate the output against your date logic (quick sanity check)

Before saving or exporting anything, do a short validation pass:

• Do the eligible dates shown (or implied) match your intended damages period?
• Are you confident the general/default 5-year rule is appropriate for your workflow?

Because no claim-type-specific sub-rule was found in the provided materials, the tool should be operating under the 5-year general/default logic by default. If your scenario requires a different limitations approach, results may appear unexpectedly low or high—not because the calculator is malfunctioning, but because the eligibility window being enforced differs from what your facts/legal theory assumes.

7) Save/export the calculation record

After you confirm the allocation:

• Save the run in DocketMath
• Export the output if the tool supports it

When you save, make sure your record clearly captures:

• Jurisdiction: US-IL
• Limitations basis: 5 years under 720 ILCS 5/3-6
• The exact date inputs driving the eligible damages window

Using saved runs is especially helpful if you later adjust assumptions (for example, if the accrual trigger date changes based on additional fact development).

Common pitfalls

Avoid these issues—each one can distort the allocation even when DocketMath is running correctly.

• Based on the provided materials, Illinois uses the 5-year general/default period under 720 ILCS 5/3-6.

• Don’t assume a different period without supporting claim-specific authority.

• Damages allocation is highly sensitive to what you enter as the “start” versus “end” (or “as-of”) of the damages window.

• A small date shift can change which portions are treated as eligible.

• If you combine everything into one number, you can lose visibility into how each component was allocated.

• Enter separate categories/components when DocketMath supports it.

• In multi-jurisdiction workflows, it’s easy to leave the previous selection active.

• Double-check US-IL is selected before running.

• DocketMath reflects your inputs and the jurisdiction configuration. If your facts change, the results can change.

• If the record is still developing, consider saving multiple runs using different date assumptions.

Common scenario to watch: If you input a damages window that assumes eligibility extending beyond 5 years, but DocketMath applies the 5-year general/default cap under 720 ILCS 5/3-6, your allocation can look smaller than expected. The tool is enforcing the limitations-based eligibility window shown in its jurisdiction settings.

Try it

Ready to run Damages Allocation for Illinois in DocketMath? Use this checklist for a smooth first pass:

Open the Damages Allocation calculator and follow the steps above: Run the calculator.

If an assumption is uncertain, document it alongside the calculation so the result can be re-run later.

Related reading

• Damages Allocation Guide for Alabama — Comparative Fault Rules
• Damages Allocation Guide for Alaska — Comparative Fault Rules
• Damages Allocation Guide for American Samoa — Comparative Fault Rules