Lost Profits Damages to New Businesses: Adjusting for Survival

David A. MacPherson, Florida State University
Stanley P. Stephenson, Litigation Economics

Abstract

Survival risk of new businesses is a challenging issue to incorporate into lost profits analyses used in litigation, an issue some financial experts and courts ignore rather than consider explicitly. This paper considers several ways to make qualitative and quantitative adjustments for the survival rates of new businesses. The paper concludes firm-specific modeling of survival rates is the most appropriate way to weight future economic returns because it offers the best alternative in terms of fitting the analysis to the facts of the case and doing so in a credible and clear manner.

Recommended Citation

MacPherson, David A. and Stephenson, Stanley P. (2006) "Lost Profits Damages to New Businesses: Adjusting for Survival," Journal of Business Valuation and Economic Loss Analysis: Vol. 1 : Iss. 1, Article 2.
DOI: 10.2202/1932-9156.1000
Available at: http://www.bepress.com/jbvela/vol1/iss1/art2

 
 
 
 

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