Studdert David M, Yang Y Tony, Mello Michelle M
Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Health Aff (Millwood). 2004 Jul-Aug;23(4):54-67. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.23.4.54.
Caps on damages have emerged as the most controversial legislative response to the new malpractice crisis. We analyzed a sample of high-end jury verdicts in California that were subjected to the state's dollars 250,000 cap on noneconomic damages. We found strong evidence that the cap's fiscal impact was distributed inequitably across different types of injuries. In absolute dollar terms, the reductions imposed on grave injury were seven times larger than those for minor injury; the largest proportional reductions were for injuries that centered on pain and disfigurement. Use of sliding scales of damages instead of or in conjunction with caps would mitigate their adverse impacts on fairness.
损害赔偿限额已成为针对新的医疗事故危机最具争议性的立法回应措施。我们分析了加利福尼亚州一批高端陪审团裁决样本，这些裁决受到该州25万美元非经济损害赔偿限额的限制。我们发现有力证据表明，该限额的财政影响在不同类型伤害之间的分配是不公平的。按绝对美元数额计算，对重伤的赔偿减少额比对轻伤的赔偿减少额大七倍；比例最大的赔偿减少针对的是集中在疼痛和毁容方面的伤害。采用损害赔偿的滑动比例制度而非限额制度，或两者结合使用，将减轻其对公平性的不利影响。
