Choosing the right Damages Allocation tool for New Hampshire

Choose the right tool

Run this scenario in DocketMath using the Damages Allocation calculator.

If you’re allocating damages for a New Hampshire civil case, your first decision is which computational workflow to run. DocketMath’s Damages Allocation tool is designed to help you split or reconcile damages components (for example: economic loss, non-economic loss, and other categories) in a repeatable way—so your numbers don’t drift across drafts.

Before you start, anchor your timing assumptions. In New Hampshire, the relevant general statute of limitations (SOL) for civil actions is 3 years under RSA 508:4. Your damages-allocation strategy may affect what information you need to collect and how far back you should look, especially when damages are time-dependent (lost wages, medical expenses, property damage, and other accrual-based categories).

The jurisdiction-aware baseline: New Hampshire general SOL

New Hampshire’s default SOL for civil actions is:

• 3 years
• RSA 508:4 (general statute of limitations for civil actions)

This matters because the “right” tool isn’t only about math—it also guides your input design. If your damages categories include costs or losses that occurred over time, you generally want your worksheet’s “look-back” or time window to match the 3-year planning baseline under RSA 508:4 (unless you later identify a different, claim-specific rule).

Use DocketMath’s Damages Allocation when your goal is structured splitting

Choose DocketMath → Damages Allocation when you need to:

• Separate damages into defined categories
• Track assumptions (e.g., monthly wage loss, daily rates, number of periods)
• Prevent internal inconsistencies across drafts
• Produce a single damages summary you can reuse in later materials (settlement position, demand draft, mediation materials)

In practice, that usually means you’ll enter:

• A damages category list (the buckets you want)
• Amounts or formulas for each bucket (how you calculate them)
• Allocation rules (for example: proportionate splits, category totals, or time-window limits)

How inputs change outputs (so you don’t get surprised later)

Damages-allocation outputs typically change in three predictable ways depending on your inputs:

For New Hampshire specifically, the baseline “look-back” decision should reflect the 3-year general SOL. That doesn’t automatically guarantee recoverability of every dollar in every scenario, but it helps keep your worksheet consistent with a reasonable default planning window under RSA 508:4.

Practical selection checklist (New Hampshire)

Use the list below to confirm that Damages Allocation is the right DocketMath workflow for your situation:

If most boxes are checked, start with DocketMath → Damages Allocation (use: /tools/damages-allocation).

Before you click through, one operational tip: if your damages include multiple event dates (treatment start, treatment end, invoice dates, wage periods), decide whether you will enter amounts as:

• One aggregated number per category, or
• Rate × period per category (usually preferable when your numbers change as the time window changes)

That choice directly affects how easy it is to update your worksheet later.

Next steps

Once you’ve chosen DocketMath → Damages Allocation, use a workflow that keeps your results reproducible and easier to audit internally. (This is not legal advice—treat it as a practical way to structure your calculations.)

After you run the Damages Allocation calculation, capture the inputs and output in the matter record. You can start directly in DocketMath: Open the calculator.

1) Confirm your baseline SOL planning window (New Hampshire)

Build your worksheet around the general 3-year SOL baseline in RSA 508:4:

• Baseline SOL: 3 years
• Authority: RSA 508:4
• Context: New Hampshire’s general civil SOL overview

If your damages are entirely within a single event (for example, a one-time repair cost), time-window issues may be simpler. If your damages are accrual-based (wages, ongoing costs, recurring expenses), then your SOL window will drive the period you should enter.

2) Map your damages into categories you can actually fill

A clean allocation worksheet usually includes categories that correspond to supporting documents. For example:

• Medical and related expenses (itemized invoices)
• Lost income (pay stubs, employment records)
• Property damage (estimates, repair invoices)
• Other documented out-of-pocket costs

Then decide whether each category is:

• Fixed amount (already have the total), or
• Calculated amount (rate × period)

This reduces errors that come from mixing “already-totaled” values with “assumption-driven” values.

3) Enter assumptions so outputs update cleanly

If your DocketMath setup lets you change inputs, use that capability deliberately:

1. Set your time window first (aligned to the 3-year general baseline under RSA 508:4).
2. Enter your rates next (monthly wage loss, daily rate, or per-period costs).
3. Add fixed amounts last for categories that don’t depend on time.

This order reduces the risk of rate-based totals being calculated off the wrong period.

4) Validate totals with a “sanity check” pass

Before exporting or reusing totals:

If any item looks wrong, fix the input structure rather than manually “tweaking” totals after the fact.

5) Use the outputs in downstream materials

After you generate an allocation summary, plug it into the next stage you’re preparing:

• Settlement range estimate
• Demand draft attachment calculations
• Internal damages ledger for review

To make downstream review easier, keep your category labels consistent with your document organization (e.g., invoice folders and spreadsheet tabs).

If you want to tighten your calculation review process, start by returning to the tool: /tools/damages-allocation.

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