Spreadsheet checks before running Damages Allocation in Wyoming

What the checker catches

Run this scenario in DocketMath using the Damages Allocation calculator.

Before you run Damages Allocation in Wyoming with DocketMath, a spreadsheet can silently encode assumptions that drive materially different results—especially around whether your damages are timely under the general statute of limitations.

DocketMath’s spreadsheet checks are designed to catch issues that typically show up right before running the damages-allocation calculator. They help you correct inputs while the data is still “spreadsheet-native” (dates, categories, and amounts), rather than after the worksheet has already produced outputs based on incorrect timing mechanics.

In Wyoming, the baseline timing rule used here is the general/default period of 4 years, set out at Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C) (source: https://www.wyoleg.gov/). No claim-type-specific sub-rule was found for this checker, so this calculator behavior and the checks described below assume the general period applies.

Common spreadsheet problems the checker flags:

• Date field inconsistencies

  • Missing “claim date,” “event date,” or “last payment/occurrence” fields
  • Dates stored as text (e.g., 01/05/2024) instead of real date values
  • End-of-period logic errors (for example, using a settlement date when the worksheet expects an occurrence date)

• Mismatched allocation rows

  • Damage rows without a corresponding category/label
  • Totals that don’t reconcile to the sum of the component rows
  • Duplicate categories (for example, the same damage type entered twice), which can lead to double allocation

• Out-of-window damages

  • Amounts tied to events older than the 4-year lookback implied by the general period in **Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C)
  • This matters because many allocation spreadsheets separate “recoverable” vs. “excluded” time windows

• Negative or non-numeric values

  • Refunds/offsets entered as positive numbers
  • Blank numeric cells interpreted as zeros (or vice versa), which can distort totals and window filtering

• Unit confusion

  • Monthly amounts treated as annual (or daily vs. monthly)
  • Multipliers entered in the wrong column or applied to the wrong date range

Gentle caution: If the worksheet’s dates are off by even one column or one date interpretation, your “timely vs. time-barred” cut can shift. That changes the recoverable portion and can alter the allocation output—regardless of whether the underlying damages figures are otherwise correct.

To keep it practical, think of the checker as a data-quality gate:

• It doesn’t decide the merits of a claim.
• It validates the timing mechanics and arithmetic your damages allocation depends on, using Wyoming’s general 4-year SOL baseline.

When to run it

Run the checker immediately before you click Damages Allocation—after you’ve entered or imported figures, but before you interpret the calculator results.

A workflow that avoids rework:

1. Import or enter raw damages lines

   • Include the dates tied to each damages row (even if you believe you won’t use them later).
2. Verify worksheet totals

   • Component sums should equal category totals (and match any grand totals).
3. Run the Wyoming spreadsheet checks

   • Use the general/default SOL rule: 4 years under Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C).
4. Only then run damages allocation

   • Apply “recoverable vs. excluded” logic consistently across categories.

Here’s what the checker protects at each stage:

Rule of thumb: If you plan to edit any of the date inputs after running the calculator, rerun the checker first; otherwise you may be recalculating on flawed time eligibility inputs.

Try the checker

You can try this in DocketMath through the Damages Allocation workflow: /tools/damages-allocation.

Before you start, confirm your spreadsheet includes (at minimum) these inputs:

• Jurisdiction: Wyoming (US-WY)
• Key dates used by your worksheet

  • Event/occurrence date per damages line (or the worksheet’s equivalent)
  • The date used to measure the start of the limitations period in your model (often a “claim filed” or “trigger” date)
• Amounts per line item

  • Typically gross amounts before allocation window filtering
• Category mapping

  • Labels that determine how amounts roll up into allocation buckets

Then run DocketMath at /tools/damages-allocation. If the checker detects timing or data-shape issues based on Wyoming’s general 4-year period (per Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C)), it will guide you back to the exact spreadsheet rows or fields to fix.

For a fast quality loop, aim for these checklist outcomes before proceeding:

Finally, if you want to iterate on structure before interpreting results, use /tools/damages-allocation again after you fix the flagged inputs.

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