Sort property damage out of a compensation-grant calculation
Key facts
- Human involvement
- YellowClose supervision
- How AI is used
- Split the loss into property damage and other items (medical care, lost wages, funeral). Do not say property damage is forbidden compensation.
- What the lawyer must review
- 34 U.S.C. § 20102(a) makes the annual grant 75 percent of the amounts awarded during the preceding fiscal year, other than amounts awarded for property damage, and says a grant shall be used by the program only for awards of compensation. The costs named in subsection (b)(1) are medical expenses attributable to a physical injury, including mental health counseling and care, loss of wages attributable to a physical injury, and funeral expenses attributable to a death. Property damage is not in that list. 18 U.S.C. § 3663A(b)(1) does deal with damage to or loss or destruction of property, by return or by a value payment, when that section applies. You keep property restitution on the § 3663A path and do not treat a property-damage award as part of the § 20102 grant base.
- Written for / version
- United States versionUS
Who does what
| Role | What they do |
|---|---|
| Assistance | Do not begin AI assistance until the responsible lawyer has defined and confirmed its permitted scope. |
| Lawyer | Set the scope, supervise the work closely, verify every part relied on, resolve omissions and exceptions, and approve the exact output. |
Checklist
- Trace every relied-on figure to its source, confirm dates and assumptions, and independently recalculate totals or derived amounts.
- Confirm the output against the client’s instructions and the complete relevant source material, including omissions or contradictions.
- Resolve exceptions and record the responsible lawyer’s approval of the exact output and intended use.