Oswald, A.J. and Powdthavee, N. (2008) Death, happiness, and the calculation of compensatory damages. Journal of Legal Studies. S217-S251. ISSN 0047-2530
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Abstract
This paper presents a study of the mental distress caused by bereavement. The greatest emotional losses are from the death of a spouse, the second greatest from the death of a child, and the third from the death of a parent. The paper explores how happiness regression equations might be used in tort cases to calculate compensatory damages for emotional harm and pain and suffering. We examine alternative well-being variables, discuss adaptation, consider the possibility that bereavement affects someone's marginal utility of income, and suggest a procedure for correcting for the endogeneity of income. Although the paper's contribution is methodological and further research is needed, some illustrative compensation amounts are discussed.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2008 University of Chicago Press. This is an author produced version of a paper published in the Journal of Legal Studies. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self archiving policy. |
| Academic Units: | The University of York > Economics and Related Studies (York) |
| Depositing User: | Repository Administrator York |
| Date Deposited: | 06 Feb 2009 14:30 |
| Last Modified: | 01 May 2013 23:03 |
| Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/595674 |
| Status: | Published |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Related URLs: | |
| URI: | http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/5504 |
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