Financial Compensation for Victims of Catastrophes: A Law and Economics Perspective

This article examines the various approaches legislators may use to compensate victims of catastrophes. Traditional law and economics of insurance literature, with respect to government relief and insurance solutions towards financial compensation, is used to analyze (highly diverging) approaches in Europe and the United States. First, the importance of liability (insurance) is discussed in cases where a liable injurer can be identified; second, the possibilities of first-party insurance are examined, whereby various regulatory solutions (particularly the French model of providing mandatory coverage for catastrophes) is critically discussed. The (first-party) insurance solution is compared with public intervention, and a distinction is made between ad hoc government relief on an ex-post basis and structural compensation funds. The solutions applied and discussed in many countries are critically analyzed for their ability to provide adequate compensation at low costs and their effects on incentives for prevention and for developing private (insurance) solutions.     

Frequency of neck organ fractures in hanging.

This study is a retrospective analysis of 307 accidental and suicidal hangings for the presence or absence of neck organ fractures. Approximately 9% of cases showed such fractures. This is in agreement with one prior study and in disagreement with others. The factor most likely to be predictive of fractures is advanced age. Gender, height of suspension, and ligature type do not seem to be of predictive value.