Abstract
National estimates of lifetime economic burdens associated with injury and illness rely on problematic life table and productivity loss computations. In part, these problems arise because the human capital cost method used to estimate economic costs employs costing methods for work loss that were developed in 1966 and then standardized in the early 1980s. Since the early 1980s, forensic economists have found flaws in those methods and developed improved methods for use when litigation requires valuing health-related work losses. This paper applies what those economists have learned to suggest improvements in the classic approach for valuing injury or disease burden.