This work reviews empirical evidence relating to five major categories of accidents; automobile accidents; medical malpractice; product related accidents; environmental injuries; and workplace injuries. The authors also offer recommendations for revisions in the tort system.

In the mid 1980s, there was a crisis in the availability, affordability, and adequacy of liability insurance in the United States and Canada. Mass tort claims such as the asbestos, DES, and Agent Orange litigation generated widespread public attention, and the tort system came to assume a heightened prominence in American life. While some scholars debate whether or not any such crisis still exists, there has been an increasing political, judicial and academic questioning of the goals and future of the tort system. Exploring the Domain of Tort Law reviews the evidence on the efficacy of the tort system and its alternatives. By looking at empirical evidence in five major categories of accidents--automobile, medical malpractice, product-related accidents, environmental injuries, and workplace injuries--the authors evaluate the degree to which the tort system conforms to three normative goals: deterrence, corrective justice, and distributive justice. In each case, the authors review the deterrence and compensatory properties of the tort system, and then review parallel bodies of evidence on regulatory, penal, and compensatory alternatives. Most of the academic literature on the tort system has traditionally been doctrinal or, in recent years, highly theoretical. Very little of this literature provides an in-depth consideration of how the system works, and whether or not there are any feasible alternatives. Exploring the Domain of Tort Law contributes valuable new evidence to the tort law reform debate. It will be of interest to academic lawyers and economists, policy analysts, policy professionals in government and research organizations, and all those affected by tort law reform.

The definitive text on personal injury law, now updated to take into account recent significant changes in the law.

This is the second volume in the annual McPherson Lecture Series, inaugurated by the University of Queensland TC Beirne Law School, which hosts a celebrated international scholar or legal expert to deliver a series of three lectures. In the first two of these thought-provoking lectures, Peter Cane examines the political and economic significance of personal injury law. In his final lecture, he explores the possible future role of tort law as a way of dealing with the social problem of personal injury. He questions whether tort law should provide compensation for non-monetary harm resulting from personal injury, while acknowledging that it would continue to feature as one element of a mixed regime for dealing with personal injuries comprising a range of diverse regulatory and compensatory arrangements.

This is a very important and immense book. . . Single-handedly, Smits has reviewed and checked this immense work to bring it to its final high standard in quality and accuracy and selection of laws. The Criminal Lawyer This is a very important and immense book. . . The Elgar Encyclopedia of Comparative Law is a treasure-trove of honed knowledge of the laws of many countries. It is a reference book for dipping into, time and time again. It is worth every penny and there is not another as comprehensive in its coverage as Elgar s. I highly recommend the Elgar Encyclopedia of Comparative Law to all English chambers. This is a very important book that should be sitting in every university law school library. Sally Ramage, The Criminal Lawyer The entries are written in a lucid and accessible style, with appropriate references being given for further research. All in all, a substantial work which will delight enthusiasts of comparative law. The Commonwealth Lawyer The breadth of topics plus the bibliographies allows a reader to use the Elgar Encyclopedia as an initial entry into a field of law, a specific topic, or a legal system. . . Any law library, business library, large public library, or academic library supporting the study of international law or international business will want to have [it] in its collection. . . This work is highly recommended. Ladyjane Hickey, American Reference Books Annual Comparative law is the comparison of law and legal systems from around the world. At one time it was a field of limited interest and academic participation. However, increasing globalization, whether of commerce or culture, makes it imperative that citizens learn more about the law of other countries. That is the premise of this comprehensive new research tool designed for general readers. Some 70 articles address topics as diverse as accident compensation, legal culture, the European Civil Code, and the law and legal systems of a selected set of nations. . . This single-volume work provides an excellent comprehensive overview of the current state of affairs in comparative law. Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers. J.E. Stephens, Choice The timely publication of this encyclopedia reflects what is happening [in international law] and, in a field where works (even student textbooks) are often expensive, it comes at an attractive price. Stuart Hannabuss, Reference Reviews The Elgar Encyclopedia of Comparative Law looks set to become an indispensable source for the ever increasing body of lawyers needing accurate information on the structure and working of foreign systems as well as on points of a substantive law. Edited by Professor Jan Smits of Maastricht University the Encyclopedia is the work of an extremely strong international team of noted specialists. Comprising articles on the nature, methodology and focus of comparative law, on the legal systems of particular jurisdictions and on matters of substantive law, the work should be a very significant contribution to the literature. It seems likely that the contributions on the comparative state of affairs in particular fields of substantive law will be an especially valuable aspect of the work. There will be 37 such articles from accident compensation to unjustified enrichment with mistake , personality rights , product liability and transfer of moveable property only a sample of what the work will offer. Casting over this list one is again struck by the wealth of established expertise brought together in the Encyclopedia. I have little doubt that I can speak for the worldwide community of comparative lawyers in saying that the Elgar Encyclopedia of Comparative Law is eagerly awaited. David L. Carey Miller, University of Aberdeen, UK Comparative law is moving swiftly from a long infancy to teenage maturity, and Jan Smits provides the essential tonic. In this outstanding work he has gathered together leading scholars, each his/her o

In this new volume, two lawyers debate which kind of automobile insurance is the best, no-fault or tort liability. This book presents in one place all the legal, political, historical, and financial arguments about the two types of auto insurance. Under the fault system currently used by thirty-seven states, tort law provides that the party at fault in the accident pays the full damages of accident victims. Jerry J. Phillips favors this system, arguing that it allows for fair compensation to the injured and deters drivers from dangerous behavior on the road. Stephen Chippendale counters this claim with the argument that tort-law based insurance combines high cost and low benefits, and that those who truly profit from it are the lawyers representing injured clients, while their claims clog up the court system. A better solution, he proposes, would be "Auto Choice," a plan under which consumers would choose whether or not they wished to be eligible for damages from pain and suffering. With civility and respect, these two legal scholars present thoughtful and thorough arguments on both sides of the debate, giving readers a balanced view of an issue that affects nearly every American. It will be of particular value to those in the fields of law, policy, and insurance.

"Burke drills deep into America's unique culture of litigation and is rewarded with a powerful insight: it is not the public or even lawyers that are so darn litigious, but American law itself. This meticulous, dispassionate book stands not only to advance the debate but—I hope—to reshape it."—Jonathan Rauch, author of Government's End: Why Washington Stopped Working "Lawyers, Lawsuits, and Legal Rights is a fascinating study of the American penchant for public policies that rely on lawsuits to get things done. Burke's analysis is insightful and original. This book compellingly shows that litigious policies have deep roots in our Constitution, culture, and politics."—Charles Epp, author of The Rights Revolution: Lawyers, Activists, and Supreme Courts in Comparative Perspective "Burke's authoritative book demonstrates that the highly litigious American system is not an isolated anomaly but in fact fits in with deeply-rooted elements of American political culture. Where citizens of other countries rely on expert or bureaucratic judgment to resolve disputes, Americans turn to the courts. Equally novel and compelling, Lawyers, Lawsuits, and Legal Rights marshals an impressive set of evidence and delivers a refreshingly well-written look at the state of American litigation."—Frank R. Baumgartner, co-author of Agendas and Instability in American Politics