Redress Schemes for Personal Injuries

Description

This ground-breaking book takes a fresh look at potential non-litigation solutions to providing personal injury compensation. It is the first systematic comparative study of such a large number—over forty—of personal injury compensation schemes. It covers the drivers for their creation, the frameworks under which they operate, the criteria and thresholds used, the compensation offered, the claims process, statistics on throughput and costs, and analysis of financial costings. It also considers and compares the successes and failings of these schemes. Many different types of redress providers are studied. These include the comprehensive no-blame coverage offered by the New Zealand Accident Compensation Corporation; the widely used Patient, Pharmaceutical, Motor Accident and Workers Compensation Insurance systems of the Nordic states; the far smaller issue-focused schemes like the UK Thalidomide and vCJD Trusts; vaccine damage schemes that exist in many countries; as well as motor vehicle schemes from the USA. Conclusions are drawn about the functions, essential requirements, architecture, scope, operation and performance of personal injury compensation systems. The relationships between such schemes, the courts and regulators are also discussed, and both calls and need for reforms are noted. Noting the wide calls for reform of NHS medical negligence litigation within the UK, and its replacement with a no-blame approach, the authors’ findings outline options for future policy in this area. This major contribution builds on general shifts from courts to ADR, and from blame to no blame in regulation, and is a work that has the potential to have a major impact on the field of personal injury redress. With contributions from Claire Bright, Raymond Byrne, Matti Urho, Mary Walker and Herbert Woopen. Volume 5 in the series Civil Justice Systems Acknowledgements Table of Contents and Authors Detailed Table of Contents List of Tables List of Figures Part I: Introduction 1. An Introduction to the Schemes Background to No-Fault Schemes Summary of the Schemes A. General Injuries B. Workers' Compensation C. Motor Vehicle Injuries D. Patient Injury Schemes E. Medicines F. Industry Arrangements in the UK for Research Injuries G. Birth Injuries H. Social Schemes Part II: New Zealand and Australia 2. New Zealand: The Accident Compensation Scheme A. General Description B. Replacement of Tort Liability C. The Five Accounts and their Funding D. Eligibility E. Compensation F. Procedure G. Statistics H. Improving Safety I. Workplace Safety J. Conclusions 3. Australia: Workers' Compensation Workers' Compensation: A Global Approach A. Western Australia Workers' Compensation B. Workers' Compensation Arrangements in the Northern Territory C. Worker's Compensation Arrangements in the Australian Capital Territory D. South Australia's Workers' Rehabilitation and Compensation Scheme E. The Tasmanian Workers' Compensation Scheme F. The Tasmanian Asbestos Compensation Scheme G. New South Wales H. New South Wales Work (Dust Diseases) Related Injuries Part III: Nordic States 4. Nordic Injury Compensation Schemes B. Integration of Coverage and Entitlements C. Holistic Systems and Nordic Philosophy D. Levels of Damages E. Patient Complaints 5. Sweden A. General Benefits and Arrangements B. Swedish Motor Vehicle Insurance C. Swedish Patient Insurance D. Swedish Drug Insurance 6. Denmark A. General Benefits B. Danish Industrial Injuries C. Danish Patient Insurance 7. Finland A. General Benefits B. Finland's Workers' Compensation System C. Finland's Motor Vehicle Insurance D. Finnish Patient Insurance E. Finnish Drug Insurance 8. Norway A. General Benefits B. Norway's Patient Compensation System C. Norwegian Drug Insurance Part IV: US Schemes 9. No-Fault Schemes in the USA A. Veterans' Healthcare B. COPIC 10. Motor Vehicle Coverage in the USA A. Background to No-Fault B. The Columbia Plan C. The Keeton-O'Connell Plan D. Costs of No-Fault E. Florida F. North Dakota G. Colorado H. Conclusions 11. The Virginia Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Program A. Organisation and Structure B. Program Funding C. Eligible Injuries D. Limitations E. The Claims Process F. Awards G. Appeals H. Parallel Regulatory Investigations into Care I. Claim Statistics J. Actuarial Soundness of the Fund K. Theft from the Fund L. Conclusions 12. The Florida Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Association A. Organisation and Structure B. NICA Funding C. Eligible Injuries D. Limitations E. The Claims Process F. Awards G. Appeals H. Parallel Regulatory Investigations into Care I. Claims Statistics J. Costs K. Actuarial Soundness of the Fund and Provisions Related to This L. Breakdown of the Claims Expenses by Category M. Class Actions N. Conclusions 13. September 11 Victim Compensation Fund A. The First Victim Compensation Fund (VCF1) B. The Second Incarnation of the Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) C. Conclusions Part V: Vaccines and Pharmaceuticals 14. The Thalidomide Trust A. History B. Conclusions 15. Vaccine Injury Compensation Schemes A. The US National Swine Flu Immunization Program of 1976 B. The US Vaccine Injury Compensation Scheme C. The UK Vaccine Damage Scheme D. Ebola 16. The Japanese Pharmaceutical Injury Scheme A. General Description B. Funding C. SMON Claims D. Payments for HIV and AIDS E. Hepatitis C Payments F. Adverse Drug Reactions G. The Claims Process H. Criteria I. Conclusions 17. Injuries in Clinical Trials on Medicines and Clinical Evaluation of Medical Devices A. Medicinal Products B. Medical Devices Part VI: Patient Injuries 18. France: The ONIAM Scheme A. Overview B. Background C. Organisational Structure D. Compensation Scheme: General Overview E. Compensation Scheme: Specific Procedures F. Statistics on the CCIs G. Performance Statistics: Medical Accidents H. Conclusion 19. Polish No-Fault Medical Compensation Scheme A. Overview B. Context and History C. Medical Incident D. No-Fault Liability? E. Causation F. Membership and Term of Office G. Time Limitations, Costs and Fees H. Procedure I. Decisions, Appeals and Compensation J. Insurance—The Original Core Element and One of the Main Problems of the Scheme K. No Participation of Doctors in the Procedure L. Statistics M. The Role of the Patients' Rights Ombudsman N. Evaluation 20. Ireland: The Injuries Board 21. Ireland: Health Services and Redress for Women Formerly Resident in Magdalen Laundries A. The Magdalen Laundries: Revealing the Story B. The McAleese Committee Report on the Magdalen Laundries C. The Magdalen Commission's Design of an Ex Gratia Scheme D. Implementation of the Magdalen Laundries Scheme E. From Adversarial Redress Scheme to Transitional Justice 22. Germany A. The Pharmapool B. Claims against Doctors C. Claims against Insurers: Ombudsman for Private Health Insurers (PKV-Verband) D. Recent Developments Targeting Reduction of Medical Liability Cases and Further Outlook E. Conclusions Part VII: UK Schemes 23. The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme A. Introduction B. Eligibility C. Application Process D. Awards E. Reviews, Reconsiderations and Appeals F. Statistics G. Conclusions 24. Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme A. Background B. Compensation Available C. Eligibility D. Application Process, Application Numbers and Refusal Numbers E. Claims Settled F. Reopening Cases, Reviewing Decisions and Appeals G. Conclusions 25. Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit A. Conclusions 26. UK Mesothelioma Compulsory Insurance Fund and Compensation Scheme A. Mesothelioma B. Industrial Injury Disablement Benefit C. Pneumoconiosis Act 1979 Lump Sum Claim D. Employers' Liability Claims and Schemes E. The 2008 Scheme F. DMPS G. Statistics H. Compensation Recovery I. Conclusions 27. Miners' Compensation Schemes A. The Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis Scheme 1974 B. The Coal Health Compensation Schemes C. Vibration White Finger D. Subsequent Claims against Solicitors 28. Compensation Scheme for Hepatitis C and HIV A. Background B. Overview of the Current Arrangements C. Hepatitis C D. HIV E. Proposed Reforms F. Conclusions 29. Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease A. Background B. The vCJD Trust: A No-Fault Compensation Scheme Part VIII: Corporate Schemes for Medical Devices 30. Dow Corning Breast Implant Compensation A. History B. Claiming from the Dow Corning Settlement Trust C. Claims Data from the Dow Corning Settlement Fund D. Conclusions 31. Trilucent Breast Implants A. Background B. Care Package and Compensation Scheme C. Conclusions 32. ASR Hip Reimbursement Programme A. Background B. Reimbursment Programme C. Conclusions Part IX: Conclusions 33. Conclusions A. Origins and Motivations of the Schemes B. Structures of the Schemes C. Comparative Statistics D. Analysis of Major Common Features and Findings 34. Parameters and Outline of a Modern Compensation Scheme A. The Parameters for a Principled Scheme B. Outline of a Model for Personal Injury Compensation Schemes Index