Multiplier
The Multiplier
This involves the courts assessing the future award of compensation following a fatal accident. It is usually easy to calculate the losses to the date of the fatal accident but it is a less precise computation when assessing a future loss.
It depends on life expectancy, age, type of occupation, acceleration of benefit etc. Actuarial figures are used to aid the court on how to calculate an award for future losses following a fatal accident.
The calculation of a fatal accident award is on the basis of an overall multiplier which is applied from the date of death. If, for example, it takes 4 years to get to trial where the multiplier is 16, then the pre-trial multiplier will be 4 and the post-trial multiplier will be 12.
Alternatively;
Stage 1 – actual number of years loss from death to trial * multiplicand = special damages;
Stage 2 – overall multiplier (less number of years loss from death to trial) * multiplier = general damages; see Graham v Dodds [1993] 2 All ER 853.
Well v Wells and others [1998] 3 All ER 481 HL should be considered when assessing multipliers. In Worrall v Powergen PLC QBD when using the Ogden Tables, it was held that multipliers should be based on the projected mortality Tables and not the historical Tables – potentially increasing quantum.
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