RAND Institute for Civil Justice

Groundbreaking Study: Malpractice Risk, By Physician Specialty

Most Physicians Will Face Malpractice Claims, But Risk of Making Payment Is Low — Sep 16, 2011

The most comprehensive analysis of the risk of malpractice claims by physician specialty in more than two decades finds that U.S. physicians have a greater than 75% career-long risk of facing litigation. In some specialties, doctors can be virtually certain of a lawsuit over the course of their careers. However, the vast majority of those claims will not result in payment to a plaintiff.

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ICJ Board Member Discusses Global Catastrophes and the New Business Environment — Dec 7, 2011

Financial services executive Dan Dumoyer, member of the RAND Institute for Civil Justice Board of Overseers, hosted an online discussion at The Washington Post about the global impact on business of unprecedented catastrophic losses, and the legislative environment for business leaders.

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Conference on Asbestos Litigation Featured ICJ Researcher — Sep. 19-21, 2011

At the conference, "Asbestos Litigation Conference: A National Overview and Outlook," RAND senior economist and ICJ researcher Lloyd Dixon participated on a panel addressing "The Next Chapter of Asbestos Bankruptcy: New Filings, Confirmations & Estimations." Dixon's remarks built upon two recent publications, Asbestos Bankruptcy Trusts: An Overview of Trust Structure and Activity with Detailed Reports on the Largest Trusts, and Asbestos Bankruptcy Trusts and Tort Compensation.

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Links Between Asbestos Bankruptcy Trusts, Tort Cases Examined — Aug 18, 2011

Asbestos bankruptcy trusts—created to compensate people injured by the mineral—may be influencing tort cases. The current way that the trusts and the tort cases are linked together may result in payments that are not consistent with the basic principles of the tort liability system.

Proposed Federal Role in Catastrophe Insurance Would Increase Earthquake Coverage — Nov 3, 2010

A proposal for the federal government to support state-run catastrophe-insurance programs would increase the number of people buying earthquake coverage in California and modestly lower both uninsured losses and government assistance following a major quake.

Residential Wind, Flood Insurance Markets Still Face Serious Problems 5 Years After Hurricane Katrina — Oct 20, 2010

Five years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, neither the federal government nor the private sector is any closer to developing effective solutions to the problems facing flood and windstorm insurance.

Asbestos Bankruptcy Trusts: An Overview of Trust Structure and Activity with Detailed Reports on the Largest Trusts — Jul 30, 2010

While legislative and judicial reforms have made it increasingly difficult to obtain compensation for nonmalignant diseases in the tort system, the trust system remains a source of compensation for such injuries. This report describes the creation, organization, and operation of asbestos personal-injury trusts and compiles publicly available information on the assets, outlays, and governing boards of the 26 largest ones.

Alternative Litigation Financing in the United States: Issues, Knowns, and Unknowns — May 17, 2010

Alternative litigation financing (ALF)—also known as "third-party" litigation financing—refers to provision of capital by parties other than plaintiffs, defendants, their lawyers, or defendants' insurers to support litigation-related activity. This paper describes the ALF industry as of early 2010 and discusses the legal ethics, social morality, and, especially, potential economic effects of ALF.

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Paul Heaton

Director for Research, RAND Institute for Civil Justice

Paul Heaton

Paul Heaton is the director of research at the RAND Institute for Civil Justice and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. His areas of expertise include law and economics, applied microeconomics, and criminal justice policy. Recent research projects examine how court funding affects…

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