RAND Institute for Civil Justice

Since 1979, the RAND Institute for Civil Justice has been dedicated to making the civil justice system more efficient and more equitable. Our research is supported by pooled grants from corporations, trade and professional associations, and individuals; by government grants and contacts; and by private foundations. The Institute disseminates its work widely to the legal, business, and research communities, and to the general public.

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Research and Commentary

  • A judge's gavel with bottles of prescription drugs. Photo by CatLane / Getty Images

    Opioid Litigation: What's New and What Does It Mean for Future Litigation?

    Feb 9, 2021

    Amid claims that the pharmaceutical industry used misleading tactics to downplay the known harms of prescription opioids, more than 2,000 plaintiffs have joined the largest civil trial in U.S. history: National Prescription Opiate Litigation (MDL 2804). In this symposium, experts discuss the opioid litigation and its effects on the future of mass litigation.

  • Detail of covid-19 vaccine vials and and a syringe. Photo by vladans / Getty Images

    COVID-19 Vaccine Cross-Border Liability and Compensation

    Feb 2, 2021

    In this virtual event, experts discuss the challenges in facilitating the global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and how to prevent liability and compensation concerns from affecting the vaccine supply chain and the uptake of the vaccine by the public.

  • Two toy vehicles in a collision on top of a manilla folder marked "Plaintiff v Defendant"

    The Effect of Mandatory Insurer Reporting on Settlement Delay

    Jan 22, 2021

    Medicare and some state Medicaid programs have taken steps to mandate reporting of personal injury awards. Analysis of a national dataset of automobile injury claims shows mandated reporting increased settlement time by an average of 36 days. Such delays could generate hundreds of millions of dollars in waiting costs each year.

  • Lynn Jones receives the COVID-19 vaccine at Jackson Madison County General Hospital in Jackson, Tennessee, Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, photo by Stephanie Amador/The Jackson Sun via Imagn Content Services, LLC/Reuters

    The Compensation System for Potential Side Effects Is an Important Part of a COVID-19 Vaccine Campaign

    Dec 18, 2020

    Concern about potential COVID-19 vaccine side effects and their consequences may be contributing to Americans' reluctance to get vaccinated. Policymakers and the public should carefully consider what types and levels of compensation for any adverse effects of vaccination are truly fair and appropriate.

  • Bottles containing a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, photo by Max Rode/Adobe Stock

    COVID-19 Vaccinations: Liability and Compensation Considerations for Policymakers

    Sep 21, 2020

    Vaccine development is only one part of the challenge in creating an immunization campaign to stop the pandemic. Once a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is ready, liability and compensation issues could affect its distribution and administration.

  • Woman in a face mask having her temperature scanned, photo by whyframestudio/Getty Images

    Can Workers' Compensation Help Businesses Reopen More Safely?

    Sep 9, 2020

    Workers' compensation typically does not cover common infectious diseases like COVID-19. But in the fight against the pandemic, state policymakers might take a fresh look at aspects of labor and business regulation that usually fade into the background and ask if modest changes hold any potential to reduce disease transmission.

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