title: Compensation for victims of trauma in the United States.
abstract: The awarding of damages in civil litigation is a basic element of the civil justice system in the United States. The system is not free of problems and controversy. Cases in which Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is the basis for a claim of damages pose specific problems in quantifying the harm done and attributing causation. This paper will provide an overview of the American civil litigation system and address some of the challenges confronted when PTSD and other emotional distress claims are made. In addition, it will discuss alternative methods for compensating victims of trauma that do not utilize the traditional civil litigation system.
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School, USA.
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schouten
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D035881:Compensation and Redress / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012935:Social Justice / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States