Employers' Liability and Workers' Compensation (eBook)

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Ken Oliphant, Institute for European Tort Law, Vienna, Austria; Gerhard Wagner, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA.

Preface 5
List of Contributors 27
Introduction 29
Employers’ Liability and Workers’ Compensation: Australia 41
I. Introduction 41
A. Basic system of compensation and liability 41
B. Interaction with other institutions 43
C. Empirical evidence 44
II. Workers’ Compensation 45
A. Scope of cover 45
1. When can workers’ compensation be claimed? 47
2. Spatial and temporal dimensions of course of employment 48
B. Compensation trigger 50
C. Scope of protection 54
D. Heads and levels of benefit 55
1. Medical care 55
2. Rehabilitation assistance 56
3. Lost earnings 57
4. Non-pecuniary losses 59
5. Dependents’ benefits 60
6. Comparison with damages in tort 62
7. Lump sum or periodical payments? 63
E. Funding systems 65
1. Types of system 65
2. Contribution to the workers’ compensation fund 67
3. Incentives 67
F. Administration and adjudication of claims 68
1. Organisational framework of workers’ compensation institutions 68
2. Who decides claims for benefits 68
3. Reviews and appeals: special tribunals or general civil justice system? 69
4. Speed of claims’ resolution and administrative costs 70
G. Rights of recourse of workers’ compensation institutions 72
1. Recourse against employer 72
2. Recourse against a co-worker 72
3. Recourse against third parties 73
H. Interaction with general social welfare provision and private insurance 74
1. Fund of first resort? 74
2. Deductibility of benefits 74
3. Recourse of social welfare agencies, social health insurance, private health insurers against workers’ compensation institutions 75
I. Interaction with employers' liability 76
1. Availability of damages in addition to workers’ compensation benefits 76
2. Deductibility of benefits provided by workers’ compensation in action against employer 77
3. Subrogation of workers’ compensation into the claim of worker against employer 78
III. Employers’ Liability 78
A. Classification 78
1. Contract or tort? 78
2. General law or a special category 79
B. Elements of liability 79
1. Liability of employers for their own acts or omissions 79
2. Liability of employers for the acts or omissions of their employees and others 79
3. Relevance of health and safety legislation in establishing liability 80
4. Overall a fault-based or strict liability system 81
5. Causation 81
6. Effect of victim’s contributory conduct 81
C. Scope of protection 82
D. Heads and levels of damages 83
1. Same level as in other cases of personal injury 83
2. Heads of recoverable damage 84
3. Costs of medical care 84
4. Costs of rehabilitation assistance 84
5. Lost earnings, loss of earning capacity, and loss of pension entitlements 85
6. Non-pecuniary loss 85
7. Dependents 86
8. Form of payment 86
E. Administration of claims 87
1. Courts or specialised tribunals 87
2. General civil procedure or special procedures? 87
3. Reviews and appeals 88
4. Speed of claims’ resolution and administrative costs 88
F. Rights of recourse 89
1. Against other employees or their liability insurer? 89
2. Against third parties 89
G. Interaction with social welfare systems and private insurance 90
1. Deductibility of benefits received from social welfare agencies 90
2. Recourse of social welfare agencies and private insurers against the employer 90
H. Insurance 91
1. Voluntary or mandatory? 91
2. General liability insurance or special policy 91
3. Basic principles of employers’ liability insurance 92
IV. Evaluation and Conclusions 93
A. Compensation 93
B. Prevention 94
C. Overall costs 95
D. Interaction between workers’ compensation and private law 95
E. Plans for reform 96
F. Overall quality of each system independently and in combination 98
Employers’ Liability and Workers’ Compensation: Austria 103
I. Introduction 103
A. Basic system of compensation and liability 103
1. Historical development 103
2. Basic system 105
3. Relation to private law remedies 106
B. Interaction with other institutions 107
C. Empirical evidence 108
II. Workers’ Compensation 108
A. Scope of cover 108
1. Protected sphere of life 109
2. Attribution 110
B. Compensation trigger 112
C. Scope of protection 113
1. Personal injury 113
2. Sexual harassment 113
3. Dignitary injuries 114
4. Property damage and pure economic loss 114
D. Heads and levels of benefit 115
1. Benefits in kind 115
2. Cash benefits 116
E. Funding systems 121
1. Funding through contributions 121
2. Financial equalisation (Finanzausgleich) 123
F. Administration and adjudication of claims 123
G. Rights of recourse of workers' compensation institutions 127
1. General 127
2. Recourse against the employer 129
3. Recourse against a colleague? 130
4. Recourse against third parties 131
H. Interaction with general social welfare provision and private insurance 131
1. Relationship between health and accident insurance 131
2. Relationship between Social Insurance and Minimum Insurance 133
I. Interaction with employers’ liability 133
III. Employers’ Liability 134
A. Classification 134
1. General tortious fault-based and the employer’s liability privilege 134
2. Work accidents caused by vehicles for which there is enhanced liability 138
B. Elements of liability 138
1. Fault-based liability 138
2. Strict liability 140
3. Liability for risks without fault 141
C. Scope of protection 143
D. Heads and levels of damages 143
1. Personal injuries 143
2. Material damages 144
E. Administration of claims 144
F. Rights of recourse 145
G. Interaction with social welfare systems and private insurance 145
H. Insurance 145
IV. Evaluation and Conclusions 146
A. Compensation 146
B. Prevention 146
C. Overall costs 147
D. Interaction between workers’ compensation and private law 147
E. Plans for reform 149
F. Overall quality of each system independently and in combination 150
Employers’ Liability and Workers’ Compensation: Denmark 151
I. Introduction 151
A. Basic system of compensation and liability 151
B. Interaction with other institutions 152
C. Empirical evidence 152
II. Workers’ Compensation 152
A. Scope of cover 152
B. Compensation trigger 155
C. Scope of protection 157
D. Heads and levels of benefit 158
E. Funding systems 160
F. Administration and adjudication of claims 160
G. Rights of recourse of workers’ compensation institutions 161
H. Interaction with general social welfare provision and private insurance 162
I. Interaction with employers’ liability 163
III. Employers’ Liability 164
A. Classification 164
B. Elements of liability 165
C. Scope of protection 167
D. Heads and levels of damages 168
E. Administration of claims 170
F. Rights of recourse 171
G. Interaction with social welfare systems and private insurance 172
H. Insurance 173
IV. Evaluation and Conclusions 174
A. Compensation 174
B. Prevention 174
C. Overall costs 175
D. Interaction between workers’ compensation and private law 175
E. Plans for reform 175
F. Overall quality of each system independently and in combination 175
Employers’ Liability and Workers’ Compensation: England and Wales 177
I. Introduction 177
A. The basic system of compensation and liability 177
1. Tort 178
2. Workers’ compensation 180
3. Why preferential compensation for workers? 181
B. Interaction with other institutions 183
C. Empirical evidence 183
II. Workers’ Compensation 184
A. Scope of cover 184
1. Workers covered 184
2. Spatial, temporal and other limitations 185
3. Effect of the victim’s contributory negligence 192
B. Compensation trigger 193
1. Accidents 194
2. Disease 196
C. Scope of protection 199
1. Personal injury 199
2. Other than personal injury 201
D. Heads and levels of benefit 201
1. Assessment 203
2. Rate of payment 205
3. Comparison of the industrial injuries pension with damages in tort 206
E. Funding systems 207
F. Administration and adjudication of claims 208
1. Claims and appeals 208
2. Tribunals not courts 209
3. Administrative cost 209
G. Right of recourse of workers’ compensation institutions 210
1. Rights of recourse against the employer 210
2. Rights of recourse against a co-worker or third party 211
H. Interaction with general social welfare provision and private insurance 211
1. The sources of funding 211
2. Deductibility of benefits 212
I. Interaction with employers’ liability 213
III. Employers’ Liability 214
A. Classification 214
B. Elements of liability 214
1. Vicarious liability 215
2. Breach of common law duty 217
3. Breach of statutory duty 218
4. Effect of the victim’s contributory conduct 219
C. Scope of protection 220
1. Accidents and disease 220
2. Personal injury 221
3. Other than personal injury 222
D. Heads and levels of damages 224
E. Administration of claims 225
1. Number and cost of claims 226
2. Insurers and the administration of the tort system 227
3. The speed of settlement 229
4. The administrative cost of tort 229
F. Rights of recourse 230
1. Rights of recourse against other employees 230
2. Rights of recourse against third parties 231
G. Interaction with social welfare systems and private insurance 231
1. Recourse of social security agency against the employer 231
2. Reducing damages to take account of the benefits paid 233
3. Recovering the cost of National Health Service treatment 233
H. Insurance 234
1. The scope of compulsory insurance 234
2. Policy limits and insurance triggers 235
3. Apportionment 236
IV. Evaluation and Conclusions 237
A. Compensation 237
1. Scope of each scheme 237
2. Amount and purpose of compensation 237
3. Fault and no-fault 239
B. Prevention 239
C. Overall costs 240
D. Interaction between workers'compensation and private law 241
E. Plans for reform 241
F. Overall quality of each system independently and in combination 242
Employers’ Liability and Workers’ Compensation: France 243
I. Introduction 243
A. Basic system of compensation and liability 243
B. Interaction with other institutions 244
C. Empirical evidence 244
II. Workers’ Compensation 246
A. Scope of cover 246
1. Workers covered 246
2. Spatial, temporal and other limitations 247
3. Effects of the victim’s contributory conduct 252
B. Compensation trigger 253
1. Accidents 253
2. Diseases 254
C. Scope of protection 257
1. Personal injury 257
2. Pure economic loss 258
3. Property damage 260
4. Sexual harassment - dignitary injuries 260
D. Heads and levels of benefit 261
1. Medical care and rehabilitation assistance 261
2. Lost earnings 263
3. Dependents’ benefits 263
4. Comparison with damages in tort 263
5. Lump sum or periodical payments? 264
E. Funding systems 264
F. Administration and adjudication of claims 266
1. Accident 266
2. Disease 267
3. Litigation 267
4. Speed of claims’ resolution and administrative costs 268
G. Rights of recourse of workers’ compensation institutions 268
1. Recourse of workers’ compensation institutions against employers 269
2. Recourse of workers’ compensation institutions against co-employees 270
3. Recourse of workers’ compensation institutions against third parties 270
H. Interaction with general social welfare provision and private insurance 270
1. Fund of first resort 270
2. Deductibility of benefits 271
3. Recourse of social welfare agencies, social health insurance, private health insurers, etc, against workers’ compensation institutions? 272
I. Interaction with employers’ liability 272
1. Availability of damages in addition to workers’ compensation benefits? 272
2. Deductibility of benefits provided by workers’ compensation institutions from claim against employer (collateral source rule) 273
3. Subrogation of workers’ compensation institutions into the claim of workers against employer 274
III. Employers’ Liability 274
A. Classification 274
1. Inexcusable negligence (art L 452-1 Social Security Code, CSS) 275
2. Wilful misconduct (art L 452-5 CSS) 276
3. Liability of a third party (art L 454-1 CSS) 277
4. Traffic accident 278
5. Criminal offence 278
B. Elements of liability 281
1. Liability of employers for their own acts or omissions 281
2. Liability of employers for the acts or omissions of their employees and others (the scope of vicarious liability the effect of any ‘common employment’ exclusionary rule)
3. Relevance of health and safety legislation in establishing liability 285
4. Overall a fault-based or strict liability? 286
5. Causation 286
6. Effect of the victim’s contributory conduct 287
C. Scope of protection 288
1. Inexcusable negligence on the part of the employer 288
2. General civil liability 289
D. Heads and levels of damages 291
1. Inexcusable negligence of the employer 291
2. General civil liability 291
E. Administration of claims 294
1. Inexcusable negligence 294
2. Civil liability 295
F. Rights of recourse 295
1. In case of employers’ liability 295
2. In case of a third party’s liability 297
G. Interaction with social welfare systems and private insurance 297
H. Insurance 299
IV. Evaluation and Conclusions 299
A. Compensation 299
B. Prevention 300
C. Overall costs 301
D. Interaction between workers’ compensation and private law 302
E. Plans for reform 303
F. Overall quality of each system independently and in combination 304
Employers’ Liability and Workers’ Compensation: Germany 305
I. Introduction 305
A. Basic system of compensation and liability 305
1. History and expansions 305
2. Insurance and liability 306
B. Interaction with other institutions 306
C. Empirical evidence 306
II. Workers’ Compensation 307
A. Scope of cover 307
B. Compensation trigger 308
1. Accidents 308
2. Diseases 308
C. Scope of protection 309
1. Occupational accident 309
2. Occupational disease 310
3. Insured ‘categories of damage’ 310
D. Heads and levels of benefit 310
E. Funding systems 314
F. Administration and adjudication of claims 315
G. Rights of recourse of workers’ compensation institutions 316
H. Interaction with general social welfare provision and private insurance 317
I. Interaction with employers’ liability 317
III. Employers’ Liability 320
A. Classification 321
B. Elements of liability 321
C. Scope of protection 323
D. Heads and levels of damages 325
1. Personal injuries 325
2. Material damages 327
3. Liability agreements 327
E. Administration of claims 327
F. Rights of recourse 328
1. Against other employees who caused the harm 328
2. Against third parties (eg equipment/component manufacturers, suppliers of raw materials, etc) 328
G. Interaction with social welfare systems and private insurance 329
1. Problems concerning the extended exemption from liability 329
2. Are benefits received from social welfare agencies deducted from claims against the employer? 329
3. Recourse of social welfare agencies and private insurers against the employer 330
H. Insurance 330
IV. Evaluation and Conclusions 331
A. Compensation 331
B. Prevention 332
C. Overall costs 333
D. Interaction between workers’ compensation and private law 333
E. Plans for reform 334
F. Overall quality of each system independently and in combination 334
1. Statutory accident insurance 334
2. Employers’ liability 336
Employers’ Liability and Workers’ Compensation: Italy 337
I. Introduction 337
A. Basic system of compensation and liability 337
B. Interaction with other institutions 339
C. Empirical evidence 339
II. Workers’ Compensation 341
A. Scope of cover 341
B. Compensation trigger 344
C. Scope of protection 345
D. Heads and levels of benefit 346
1. Medical care and rehabilitation assistance 346
2. Non-pecuniary losses 347
3. Dependent’s benefits and benefits to their relatives 350
4. Comparison with damages in tort 350
5. Lump sums or periodical payments? 351
E. Funding systems 352
F. Administration and adjudication of claims 353
G. Rights of recourse of workers’ compensation institutions 355
H. Interaction with general social welfare provision and private insurance 356
I. Interaction with employers’ liability 356
III. Employers’ Liability 357
A. Classification 357
B. Elements of liability 358
C. Scope of protection 362
D. Heads and levels of damages 363
E. Administration of claims 366
F. Rights of recourse 366
G. Interaction with social welfare systems and private insurance 367
H. Insurance 368
IV. Evaluation and Conclusions 368
A. Compensation 368
B. Prevention 368
C. Overall costs 369
D. Interaction between workers’ compensation and private law 370
E. Plans for reform 370
F. Overall quality of each system independently and in combination 371
Employers’ Liability and Workers’ Compensation: Japan 373
I. Introduction 373
A. Basic system of compensation and liability 373
B. Interaction with other institutions 374
C. Empirical evidence 374
II. Workers’ Compensation 375
A. Scope of cover 375
B. Compensation trigger 375
C. Scope of protection 376
D. Heads and levels of benefit 376
1. Medical compensation 376
2. Compensation for absence from work 377
3. Compensation for disabilities 377
4. Compensation for bereaved family 378
5. Non-pecuniary losses 378
6. Medical examination benefits 378
E. Funding systems 379
F. Administration and adjudication of claims 379
G. Right of recourse of workers’ compensation institutions 380
H. Interaction with general social welfare provision and private insurance 380
1. Interaction with general social welfare provision 380
2. Interaction with private insurance 382
I. Interaction with employers’ liability 382
III. Employers’ Liability 383
A. Classification 383
B. Elements of liability 384
C. Scope of protection 385
D. Heads and levels of damages 385
E. Administration of claims 386
F. Rights of recourse 386
1. Against another employee 386
2. Against third parties 387
G. Interaction with social welfare systems and private insurance 387
H. Insurance 388
IV. Evaluation and Conclusions 388
A. Compensation 388
B. Prevention 389
C. Overall costs 389
D. Interaction between workers’ compensation and private law 390
E. Plans for reform 390
F. Overall quality of each system independently and in combination 390
Employers’ Liability and Workers’ Compensation: The Netherlands 391
I. Introduction 391
A. Basic system of compensation and liability 391
B. Interaction with other institutions 391
C. Empirical evidence 393
II. Workers’ Compensation 393
III. Employers’ Liability 395
A. Classification 395
B. Elements of liability 397
C. Scope of protection 401
D. Heads and levels of damages 402
E. Administration of claims 403
F. Rights of recourse 403
G. Interaction with social welfare systems and private insurance 404
H. Insurance 404
IV. Evaluation and Conclusions 405
A. Compensation 405
B. Prevention 406
C. Overall costs 406
D. Interaction between workers’ compensation and private law 407
E. Plans for reform 407
F. Overall quality of each system independently and in combination 408
Employers’ Liability and Workers’ Compensation: Poland 409
I. Introduction 409
A. Basic system of compensation and liability 409
B. Interaction with other institutions 410
C. Empirical evidence 410
II. Workers’ Compensation 410
A. Scope of cover 410
1. Workers covered 410
2. Spatial, temporal and other limitations 411
3. Effect of the victim’s contributory conduct 411
B. Compensation trigger 413
1. Accidents 413
2. Disease (occupational diseases) 419
C. Scope of protection 421
1. Personal injury 421
2. Sexual harassment 421
3. Property damage 421
4. Pure economic loss 421
D. Heads and levels of benefit 421
1. Medical care 421
2. Rehabilitation assistance 423
3. Lost earnings, loss of earning capacity and loss of pension entitlements 423
4. Non-pecuniary losses 423
5. Dependant’s benefits 423
6. Comparison with damages in tort 424
7. Lump sum or periodical payments 424
E. Funding systems 424
1. Type of system 424
2. Incentives 426
F. Administration and adjudication of claims 426
1. Organisational framework of workers’ compensation institutions 426
2. Reviews and appeals: Special tribunals or general civil justice system? 426
3. Speed of claims’ resolution and administrative costs 427
G. Rights of recourse of workers’ compensation institutions 427
H. Interaction with general social welfare provision and private insurance 427
I. Interaction with employers’ liability 427
III. Employers’ Liability 428
A. Classification 428
1. Contract or tort? 428
2. General law or special category? 428
B. Elements of liability 428
1. Liability of employers for their own acts and omissions 428
2. Liability of employers for the acts or omissions of their employees and others 429
3. Overall a fault-based or strict liability? 429
4. Causation 429
5. Effect of the victim’s contributory conduct 429
C. Scope of protection 429
1. Personal injury 429
2. Sexual harassment 430
3. Dignitary injuries 431
4. Property damage 431
5. Pure economic loss 432
D. Heads and levels of damages 432
1. Main heads of recoverable damages 432
2. Costs of medical care 432
3. Costs of rehabilitation assistance 433
4. Lost earnings, loss of earning capacity and loss of pension entitlements 433
5. Dependents’ benefits 433
6. Non-pecuniary losses 433
7. Form of payment 433
E. Administration of claims 434
1. Courts or specialised tribunals? 434
2. General civil procedure or special procedures 434
3. Reviews and appeals 434
4. Speed of claims’ resolution and administrative cost 434
F. Rights of recourse 435
1. Against employees 435
2. Against third parties 435
G. Interaction with social welfare systems and private insurance 435
H. Insurance 435
1. Voluntary or mandatory? 435
2. General liability insurance or special policy? 435
3. Basic principles of employers’ liability insurance 436
IV. Evaluation and Conclusions 436
A. Compensation 436
B. Prevention 436
C. Overall costs 437
D. Interaction between workers’ compensation and private law 437
E. Plans for reform 437
F. Overall quality of each system independently and in combination 437
Employers’ Liability and Workers’ Compensation: Romania 439
I. Introduction 439
A. Basic system of compensation and liability 439
B. Interaction with other institutions 440
C. Empirical evidence 441
II. Workers’ Compensation 442
A. Scope of cover 442
1. Spatial limits 443
2. Temporal limitations 444
B. Compensation trigger 444
C. Scope of protection 446
1. Personal injury 446
2. Sexual harassment and injury to one’s dignity 447
3. Property damage and pure economic loss 448
D. Heads and levels of benefit 449
1. Medical care 449
2. Rehabilitation assistance 450
3. Lost earnings, loss of earning capacity and loss of pension entitlements 451
4. Expenses refund 452
5. Non-pecuniary losses 453
6. Dependants’ benefit 453
7. Comparison with damages in tort 454
8. Form of payment 454
E. Funding systems 454
1. Type of system 454
2. Contributions to the workers’ compensation fund 455
3. Risk-rating of contribution 455
F. Administration and adjudication of claims 456
1. Organisational framework of workers compensation institutions 456
2. Who decides over claims for benefits? 457
3. Reviews and appeals: special tribunals or general civil justice system? 458
4. Speed of claims resolution and administrative costs 459
G. Rights of recourse of workers’ compensation institutions 459
1. Recourse against the employer 459
2. Recourse against a co-worker or against third parties 460
H. Interaction with general social welfare provisions and private insurance 460
I. Interaction with employers’ liability 461
III. Employers’ Liability 461
A. Classification 461
B. Elements of liability 462
1. Liability of employers for their own acts or omissions 462
2. Liability of employers for the acts or omissions of their employees and others 463
3. Relevance of health and safety legislation in establishing liability 464
4. Overall a fault-based or strict liability system? 464
5. Causation 465
6. Effect of the victim’s contributory conduct 466
C. Scope of protection 466
1. Personal injury 467
2. Sexual harassment and injuries to dignity 467
3. Property damage and pure economic loss 468
D. Heads and levels of damages 468
E. Administration of claims 470
F. Rights of recourse 470
G. Interaction with the social welfare system and private insurance 471
H. Insurance 471
IV. Evaluation and Conclusions 472
A. Compensation 472
B. Prevention 473
C. Overall costs 474
D. Interaction between workers’ compensation and private law 474
E. Plans for reform 474
F. Overall quality of each system independently and in combination 475
Employers’ Liability and Workers’ Compensation: United States. 477
I. Introduction 477
A. Basic system of compensation and liability 477
B. Interaction with other institutions 478
C. Empirical evidence 478
II. Worker’s Compensation 479
A. Scope of cover 479
B. Compensation trigger 481
1. The ‘accident’ requirement 481
2. Arising out of and in the course of employment 482
3. Occupational Disease 484
C. Scope of protection 486
1. Sexual Harassment 487
2. Dignitary Injuries 489
3. Property Damage 489
4. Pure Economic Loss 490
D. Heads and levels of benefit 490
1. Medical Care 490
2. Rehabilitation 493
3. Lost Earnings 495
4. Non-Pecuniary Losses 499
5. Dependents’ Benefits 499
6. Comparison with Tort 501
7. Lump Sum Payments 502
E. Funding systems 503
F. Administration and adjudication of claims 505
G. Rights of recourse of workers’ compensation institutions 507
H. Interaction with general social welfare provision and private insurance 508
I. Interaction with employers’ liability 510
III. Employers’ Liability 510
A. Classification 510
B. Elements of liability 511
C. Scope of protection 513
D. Heads and levels of damages 514
E. Administration of claims 514
F. Rights of recourse 515
G. Interaction with social welfare systems and private insurance 515
H. Insurance 516
IV. Evaluation and Conclusions 516
A. Compensation 517
B. Prevention 518
C. Overall costs 519
D. Interaction between workers’ compensation and private law 520
E. Plans for reform 521
F. Overall quality of each system independently and in combination 521
The European Coordination of Employers’ Liability and Workers’ Compensation 525
I. Introduction 525
II. Empirical Evidence 526
III. Workers’ Compensation 527
A. Limitation to national territory 527
B. European coordination of social security systems 528
C. Sources of law 529
D. Scope of cover 531
E. General rules for determining the legislation applicable 532
1. General application of the law of the country of employment 532
2. Special provisions for determining the legislation applicable 533
3. Pursuit of activities in two or more Member States 534
4. Freedom of choice 535
F. Special provisions for determining the legislation applicable in cases of accidents at work and occupational diseases 536
G. Administration and adjudication of claims 537
H. Rights of recourse of workers’ compensation institutions and interaction with employers’ liability 538
IV. Employers’ Liability 541
A. Classification 541
B. The Law applicable to contractual duties 545
1. Source of law 545
2. Scope of protection 545
3. General rules for determining the legislation applicable 546
4. Special provisions for individual employment contracts 548
C. The Law applicable to extra-contractual duties 550
1. Source of law 550
2. Scope of protection 550
3. General rule 550
4. Escape clause 551
D. Adjudication of claims 552
1. Source of law 552
2. Scope 552
3. Rules for international jurisdiction in relation to contracts of employment 553
E. Rights of recourse and interaction between employers’ liability and workers’ compensation 555
V. Alternatives, Evaluation and Conclusions 555
The Changing Landscape of Work Injury Claims: Challenges for Employers’ Liability and Workers’ Compensation 559
I. Introduction 559
A. The Changing Landscape of Work Injury Claims 559
B. The social construction of injury claims 561
C. The compensation and liability framework 563
1. Workers’ compensation 563
2. Employers’liability 564
D. Plan 566
II. Recognition issues (‘naming problems’) 566
A. Issues for Workers’ Compensation 566
1. An accident preference 566
2. Disease 569
3. Mental illness 573
4. Harassment and discrimination 576
B. Issues for employers’ liability 577
1. An accident preference 577
2. Disease 579
3. Mental illness 579
4. Harassment and discrimination 580
III. Attribution issues (‘blaming problems’) 582
A. Issues for employers’ liability 582
1. A violation of the required standard of care 583
2. Causation 585
3. Time limits (prescription) 586
4. Insurance 588
5. The risk of insolvency 589
B. Issues for workers’ compensation 590
IV. Challenges for Employers’ Liability and Workers’ Compensation 592
A. Introduction 592
B. Challenges for Workers’ Compensation 593
C. Challenges for Employers’ Liability 593
D. Coordination of the two systems 596
V. Conclusion 598
New Perspectives on Employers’Liability - Basic Policy Issues 601
I. Introduction 601
II. Systems of Workers’ Compensation: Basic Features 603
A. Compensation regardless of fault of employer and contributory fault of employee 603
B. Insurance or collectivisation of claims 604
C. Scope of protection 604
D. Limited compensation, simplified assessment 605
E. Resolution of disputes out of court 607
F. Immunity of employers from damages suits 607
III. Employers’ Liability: Basic Features 608
A. Bases of liability 608
B. Central features of private liability regimes 609
C. Thresholds for establishing civil liability 609
IV. The Revival of Employers’ Liability 610
A. Against the industrial preference 610
B. The promise of social security 612
C. The failure of social security 613
D. Conclusion 616
V. Functional Analysis 616
A. Compensation 617
1. Needs-based interpretation of the compensation goal 617
2. Corrective justice interpretation of the compensation goal 618
B. Deterrence 619
1. Strict liability vs fault-based liability 619
2. Insuring against liability 620
3. Conclusion 622
C. Administrative Costs 623
D. Conclusion 626
VI. Challenges for Workers’ Compensation Systems 626
A. The common root of current challenges 626
B. Inroads into the immunity principle 627
1. The expansion of aggravated fault 627
2. The substantive issues: Full income replacement and damages for non-pecuniary losses? 628
3. The administrative issue: upgrading workers’ compensation benefits vs private suits against employers 631
C. Claims against third parties 633
1. The US experience 633
2. Explanation 634
3. Evaluation 636
VII. Final Remarks 637
Index 639
Publications 649