Psychological assessment of postdisaster class action and personal injury litigants: a case study.
The case study method is used to describe psychological assessments undertaken with victims of a combined natural/technological disaster for litigation purposes. A class action suit was filed in which the authors determined levels of traumatic stress in 27 plaintiffs as a group and relative to each other. The process was effective--the case was settled out of court in favor of the litigants. Individual litigants were satisfied with monetary awards received.
Murphy
S A
SA
Department of Psychosocial Nursing SC-76, University of Washington, Seattle 98195, USA.
Keating
J P
JP
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004190:Disasters; D005104:Expert Testimony / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007346:Insurance, Accident / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D016365:Liability, Legal; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010552:Personality Assessment; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D013534:Survival / Q000523:psychology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*