When Do Legal Teams Need Litigation Support Services?

In cases involving insurance, financial risk, or long-term liabilities, the numbers are everything. But you can’t hand the jury a spreadsheet and hope for the best.

Legal teams turn to litigation support services when the numbers become part of the argument. When financial risk, insurance claims, or long-term costs are on the table, the case becomes as much about math as it is about the law.

Cases can encompass structured settlements, reserve adequacy, and reinsurance contracts. Valuations can stretch years into the future. And juries don’t come equipped with the education and experience to make sense of the highly technical aspects of financial analysis.

Whether the case is an insurance company disputing a claim, a law firm preparing for trial, or a team assessing the financial impact of medical malpractice, litigation support services provided the structure behind the argument. Actuarial expert witnesses bring valuable insight into complex topics.

They may be brought in to evaluate insurance claims, estimate liability, or provide expert testimony that holds up in court.

Kerper Bowron is used extensively to support class actions involving vehicle part failures. Our team has worked as experts on numerous cases over the past five years. 

When the numbers are in question, attorneys need a partner who can explain where the numbers came from and why they matter.

We simplify the complex to serve the case better.

Why Courts Trust Actuaries in Class Actions

Actuaries are certified professionals (e.g., FSA, ASA, FCAS, MAAA). Actuaries use industry-standard methodologies and are experts in handling large data sets and population-wide models    

How the Actuary Is Used as an Expert Witness

Warranty Reserve & Cost Analysis:

• Actuaries estimate the actual expected cost of vehicle repairs based on failure rates, repair costs, and vehicle age.

Aggregate Damages Estimation

Actuaries are essential in estimating damages by combining various cost components, such as repair expenses for individuals who paid out of pocket, and the value of rental cars or other related benefits. 

By analyzing a representative sample of claims, actuaries can extrapolate the findings to estimate total class-wide damages. 

Sensitivity & Scenario Testing

By modeling different assumptions—such as failure rates or miles driven—sensitivity and scenario testing can reveal how damage estimates fluctuate across various conditions. Legal teams can better evaluate multiple potential outcomes and provide valuable insight when negotiating settlements.

Expert Report Preparation

A key contribution to litigation is the expert report, which outlines the actuary’s methodology and findings in detail. This report typically includes reserve standards used to model warranty liabilities, statistical analyses of failure data, and models based on miles driven. It also presents tables summarizing total economic damages and includes a clear discussion of assumptions made and uncertainties to support transparency and credibility in court. 

Testimony Support

During deposition or trial, the actuary serves as a transparent and credible expert witness. They break down complex technical concepts into plain language for judges and juries, defend their modeling approach against opposing counsel, and critique the manufacturer’s internal reserve estimates. 

What Sets Kerper Bowron’s Legal Support Apart

In court, numbers alone don’t win cases. What matters is whether they’re understood. Many firms can run the numbers. Only a handful can explain them. Even fewer can do both with the kind of credibility that holds up under cross-examination.

We offer actuarial analysis and insurance consulting services, but we specialize in applying them where it counts: in the courtroom, under scrutiny, and in service of the case. Our team commands decades of experience in insurance, accounting, and legal support. That cross-disciplinary strength means we see the numbers and understand the regulations behind them and the legal implications they carry.

We understand how to determine actuarial present value, calculate additional living expenses, and evaluate loss projections in a way that aligns with the needs of the law firms and the courts they serve.

We use our extensive experience as litigation support specialists to bring the numbers to life.

Legal firms come to us to take the spreadsheet and turn it into a narrative. And with claims, insurance, and cases with complex financial data, it all comes down to the story the numbers tell.

Bringing Expertise to the Legal Process

When legal teams take on court cases involving financial exposure, insurance claims, or projected liability, they face a unique challenge: turning complex data into evidence that stands up in court.

Whether the case is an insurance company disputing a claim or a law firm evaluating actuarial present value, litigation support services help bridge the gap between the numbers and the narrative. This kind of work requires consulting actuaries who understand both the technical standards of the insurance industry and the demands of the legal system.

A trial is a search for what’s true. The story needs numbers, and the numbers need a voice. Contact Kerper Bowron today to learn more about the many ways our litigation support services can help your company.