An Assessment of the “Eggshell Psyche” in Simulated Civil Litigation

The eggshell plaintiff rule dictates that in the event that a defendant causes some amount of damage, he or she also becomes liable for all of the plaintiff’s injuries, including any unforeseeable harm. The present study investigated whether adults who may have an “eggshell psyche” due to childhood abuse endorse more symptoms of trauma after a simulated motor vehicle accident than individuals without a history of abuse. Participation in litigation was also examined as a potential stressor over and above the experience of a traumatic event. The results confirm that an individual’s abuse history was related to elevated symptom reports. However, the type of abuse and the litigation context did not incrementally contributed to symptom reports. Results have implications for attorneys, psychological expert witnesses, and plaintiffs who have a history of trauma.