RPC Calculation of Present Value Damages Consultants
Ronald T. Luke
JD, PhD
President
Brian Piper
PhD
Senior Consultant
Angela VanDerwerken
PhD
Senior Consultant
Cameron Holstead
CPA, CVA, PhD
Senior Consultant
Sam Absher
PhD
Senior Consultant
Maria Veihl
PhD
Senior Consultant
Calculation of Present Value
For either medical or vocational damages it is necessary to calculate damages in future dollars and then discount these future damages to present value as of the time of trial. RPC has expert economists who are able to bring all damages calculations to present value. We compute different inflation rates for specific goods, services and wages. Our procedures ensure consistency between the inflation and discount rates used. The time series data used in these calculations of damages are continuously updated as government agencies publish new statistics. We also take the particular facts of each case into consideration to ensure the most accurate data and practices are used in our calculations.
Review of Present Value Analyses
RPC also assists defense counsel by reviewing present value calculations prepared by opposing experts. We evaluate whether the selected discount rates, growth assumptions, and methodologies are appropriate and consistent with accepted economic practice.
Our economists identify unsupported assumptions, methodological errors, or internal inconsistencies that may overstate or understate economic damages. When appropriate, RPC provides alternative present value calculations based on corrected assumptions and sound economic reasoning.
For more information, contact Athenna Dill, Personal Injury Case Manager, 512.371.8005, adill@rpcconsulting.com.
RPC Calculation of Damages and Present Value Blogs
Calculating Loss of Earning Capacity Without Earnings Records
Establishing loss of earning capacity in personal injury litigation can be challenging when a plaintiff has limited employment history or no documented earnings. In our latest blog, RPC explores how economic experts use Bureau of Labor Statistics data, peer-reviewed research, and economic models to estimate earning capacity for injured adults and minor children. Learn how these methods help support economic damage assessments when traditional earnings records are unavailable.
The Importance of a Vocational Expert in Calculating Loss of Earning Capacity
Loss of earning capacity is often a major element of economic damages. In personal cases when the plaintiff alleges a significant loss of earning capacity due to physical or cognitive impairments from an injury, a vocational expert can reliably determine what, if any, post-injury jobs the plaintiff can perform and the earnings from those jobs.
RPC Provides Expert Testimony on Air Ambulance Rates for Texas Workers’ Compensation Carriers
On January 16, 2026, State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) administrative law judges issued decisions in favor of Texas Mutual Insurance Company (TMIC) and other carriers, upholding RPC’s fair and reasonable payment methodology for rotary-wing air ambulance services as consistent with Texas Department of Insurance rules. Beginning in 2014, RPC developed and defended a data driven methodology for rotary-wing air ambulance services adjusting Medicare rates for operating cost inflation. In the most recent SOAH hearings, Ron Luke, JD, PhD and Brian Piper, PhD, testified. RPC has since been retained to develop a comparable methodology for fixed-wing air ambulance services and expects to continue supporting TMIC and other Texas workers’ compensation carriers in future medical fee disputes. Read our latest blog post for the full history of the case, RPC’s methodology, and what these rulings may mean for future air ambulance billing disputes.