There wasn’t always a standard formula for calculating future lost wages when a plaintiff suffered a loss of enjoyment of life or hedonic damages. Before this methodology became standard practice in injury and wrongful death trials, economists faced an uphill battle to ensure fair settlements for plaintiffs in personal injury cases.

In a personal injury case, juries may be asked to consider the loss of the pleasure of life. Economists and financial experts sometimes testify in this area, but a reliable system for rating and quantifying such damages in personal injury cases has not been developed and communicated. An interdisciplinary approach for applying hedonic valuations establishes a foundational model.

Can we trust a jury in today’s modern world? Despite occasional bombastic headlines, the jury system remains one of the more reliable criminal trial methods ever devised. Here, we explore why juries can be trusted, and present peer-reviewed research that supports the civil jury system.