Author Description

The Institute for Civil Justice has developed a program of research on the design and performance of alternative compensation systems and the role played by the tort liability system in the network of programs, including a study of how compensation programs are designed, covering such critical elements as eligibility standards, compensation levels, case processing, and funding mechanisms. It also includes studies of specific compensation programs, e.g., automobile no-fault. A critical component of this work is a national survey of accident victims that seeks to determine who these victims are, how severely they are injured, how much their injuries cost, how the victims seek compensation, who files liability claims and why, and what results victims obtain. This report contains the first findings from that survey.