Inputs you need for Damages Allocation in South Dakota
5 min read
Published April 15, 2026 • By DocketMath Team
Inputs you will need
Run this scenario in DocketMath using the Damages Allocation calculator.
When you’re allocating damages for a civil claim in South Dakota (US-SD) using DocketMath, the calculator will generally need the same core inputs every time—then it applies jurisdiction-aware rules.
This post focuses on the inputs you’ll feed into /tools/damages-allocation and how the output typically changes when you adjust them. It’s not legal advice; treat it as a workflow checklist.
Core damages-allocation inputs (the usual set)
Use this checklist as a pre-flight review before you run the calculator:
South Dakota time rule you should align with
DocketMath’s damages allocation often depends on whether portions of damages fall within the actionable time window. South Dakota’s general statute of limitations for civil actions is:
- 3 years under SDCL 22-14-1
No claim-type-specific sub-rule was found for this workflow, so the calculator should be treated as using the general/default period as the baseline—i.e., 3 years, not a shorter or longer specialized limitations rule.
Note: If your damages analysis involves a specialized claim type with a different limitations rule, you’ll need to verify that the calculator’s default time window still matches your legal theory before relying on the output.
Where to find each input
Here’s a practical map from your case documents to the fields DocketMath typically needs.
Most inputs live in the case file, contracts, or docket entries. Dates usually come from the triggering event notice; rates and caps come from governing documents or statute; and amounts come from the ledger or judgment. Record the source for each value so the run is reproducible.
Dates
- Claim start / accrual date
- Look in your complaint, demand letter, incident report, or medical records for the date the harm occurred or became known.
- If your damages are tied to repeated conduct (for example, ongoing wages loss), pick the first date you’re treating as actionable.
- Filing date
- Pull from the first page of the filed complaint or the docket entry that shows the filing timestamp/date.
Dollar amounts by category
- Medical expenses
- Use billing summaries, EOBs, treatment logs, or settlement demand spreadsheets.
- Prefer totals you can reconcile to invoices.
- Lost wages / earning capacity
- Use pay stubs, employer letters, unemployment records, or a vocational/earnings calculation.
- Property loss / repair costs
- Use repair estimates, invoices, photos with estimate references, and appraisals.
- Other out-of-pocket damages
- Keep receipts and logs (travel for treatment, replacement costs, etc.).
Offsets and payments
- Mitigation amounts
- If you’re using mitigation as a reduction, identify the amounts and the reason they apply (e.g., payments received through other sources you are netting).
- Insurance payments
- Use the settlement statement, coverage/payment letter, or insurer remittance documents so the numbers are traceable.
Run it
Once your inputs are assembled, you’ll run DocketMath → /tools/damages-allocation.
Enter the inputs in DocketMath and run the Damages Allocation calculation to generate a clean breakdown: Run the calculator.
When rules change, rerun the calculation with updated inputs and store the revision in the matter record.
Step-by-step runbook
- Open the calculator
- Go to: /tools/damages-allocation
- Enter the date inputs first
- Add the claim start/accrual date and filing date.
- Select or define damages categories
- Add each damages category you want included.
- Enter amounts by category
- Input the dollar figures for each category (and any timing splits if you’re modeling them).
- Apply offsets/payments if your allocation approach uses them
- Include mitigation/insurance netting only if it matches your calculation method.
- Generate the allocation output
- Review which portions are treated as within the actionable window based on the 3-year SDCL 22-14-1 default.
How the output usually changes when you change inputs
Below is a quick “input → effect” guide so you can sanity-check results:
| Input you adjust | Typical effect on allocation output |
|---|---|
| Accrual date moves later | More damages may fall inside the 3-year window, increasing “included” amounts |
| Filing date moves later | Potentially decreases included damages if categories fall outside 3 years |
| You increase a damages category amount | Allocation increases for that category (unless the time window excludes that period’s damages) |
| You add a timing split to a category | The calculator may allocate only the portion within the limitations window |
| You add insurance/offset amounts | Net damages in the output generally decrease accordingly |
Pitfall: If you enter only one date for a category that actually spans multiple periods, the allocation may treat the entire amount as fully included or excluded—so your results can swing dramatically. When you have evidence of a time span, split the category by the relevant dates rather than relying on a single total.
South Dakota limitations alignment (default rule)
DocketMath’s baseline for timing analysis in this workflow should track the general 3-year period in SDCL 22-14-1. Because no claim-type-specific sub-rule was identified here, the calculator should be treated as applying the general/default period rather than a specialized limitations period.
If your case hinges on a different accrual trigger or a special statutory rule, you’ll want to confirm your assumptions before using the allocation figures in any downstream settlement or filing process.