Structured Settlements

Abstract It has been explained in Chapter 23 on multipliers how the court will usually calculate a single lump sum award of damages to provide compensation to the claimant for the future losses and expenses that result from his injuries over the rest of his life. A conventional award of this kind gives parties the benefits of certainty and finality, but the claimant must then manage his damages so as to meet all of his needs, and runs the risk of finding that his funds have run out if the performance of his investments is disappointing, or if he survives longer than the expectation of life that was assumed when the damages were assessed.