Opinion ID: 1995010
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: The evidence of average lifetime earnings.

Text: Plaintiffs offered in evidence the minor plaintiff's I.Q. and the results of other intelligence and performance tests which were interpreted as showing that he would have been able to graduate from college but for his injuries. Plaintiffs then called as a witness an actuary who testified as to the average difference in earnings among students of various degrees of academic achievement as a guide to the jury in determining future loss of earnings by reason of the injuries. To assess damages for future loss of earnings of a four-year-old child presents a jury with a problem which can be solved only by the use of common sense. Loss of future earnings of such a person cannot be estimated with any degree of accuracy. The jury must do the best it can to estimate an amount and in so doing, it may take into account differences in average earnings. Virginian Ry. Co. v. Armentrout, 4 Cir., 166 F.2d 400; Turrietta v. Wyche, 54 N.M. 5, 212 P.2d 1041, 15 A. L.R.2d 407; Grayson v. Irvmar Realty Corp., 7 A.D.2d 436, 184 N.Y.S.2d 33. It was not error to admit into evidence the statistical information as to average lifetime earnings.