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Policing the Compensation of Victims of Catastrophes: Combining Solidarity and Self-Responsibility

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Book cover Shifts in Compensation Between Private and Public Systems

Part of the book series: Tort and Insurance Law ((TIL,volume 22))

Abstract

Personal experience sometimes happens to coincide with preexisting expertise. The author of this paper has worked on the topic of compensation of victims, of terrorism in particular1 and catastrophes in general2, in the context of French law, and yet in the framework of comparative law projects. In August 2005, he left his previous position as professor of comparative law in Lyon to move with his family to the United States and, more precisely, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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Notes

  1. O. Moréteau/F. Lafay, Liability for Acts of Terrorism under French Law, in: B.A. Koch (ed.), Terrorism, Tort Law and Insurance, A Comparative Survey (2004), 29–46.

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  3. Union Carbide Corp., Bhopal Information Center, <http://http://www.bhopal.com/chrono.htm> (2005).

  4. T. Matthew Ciolek, 2004 Tsunami Disaster — Scholarly and Factual Analyses, <http://www.ciolek.com/WWWVLPages/AsiaPages/Tsunami-Analyses.html> (Last updated: 7 March 2005).

  5. Reports of Missing and Deceased. Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. <http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/offices/page.asp?ID=192&Detail=5248> (Last updated: 18 April 2006).

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  7. Moréteau/Cannarsa/Lafay (fn. 2), no. 81.

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  8. This is what John M. Barry, author of Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How it Changed America (1998), explained in a luncheon speech for the Centennial of the LSU Law Center, on 15 September 2006.

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  11. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Tax Relief for Hurricane Katrina Evacuees, <http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=19443> (Last Updated: 5 October 2005).

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  13. See L.S. Mullenix, Developments in the Procedural Means for Resolution of Mass Tort Litigation in the United States, in: B.A. Koch (ed.), Terrorism, Tort Law and Insurance, A Comparative Survey (2004), 204–235.

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  14. See <http://www.hurricanelawblog.com/archives/la-litigation-actions-filed-mrgo-class-actionagainst-corps-of-engineers.html>, last visited 1 October 2006.

  15. I. van Heerden/M. Bryan, The Storm, What Went Wrong and Why During Hurricane Katrina (2006), 211–249.

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  16. For a presentation and assessment of the role of FEMA and its interaction with federal and state government, see Rabin/Bratis (fn. 6), no. 13–25.

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  17. Rabin/Bratis (fn. 6), no. 46–54.

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  18. Economic analysis suggests that the federal State should take care of large scale disasters: Richard Posner, “Federalism, Economics, and Katrina” (9 October 2005), http://www.beckerposner-blog.com/archives/2005/10/federalism_econ.html (last visited 1 October 2006).

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  20. See, for more detail, Rabin/Bratis (fn. 6), no. 28.

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  21. See, for more detail, Rabin/Bratis (fn. 6), no. 33–34.

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  22. See, for more detail, Rabin/Bratis (fn. 6), no. 33.

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  24. In addition to Rabin/Bratis (fn. 6), no. 29–30, see K.S. Abraham, Liability for Acts of Terrorism Under U.S. Law, in: B.A. Koch (ed.), Terrorism, Tort Law and Insurance, A Comparative Survey (2004), 176–188; K.P. Hilliard, Civil Litigation Arising out of the WTC Attacks, in: B.A. Koch (ed.), Terrorism, Tort Law and Insurance, A Comparative Survey (2004), 189–196.

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  25. Peter H. Woodin, The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001, in: B.A. Koch (ed.), Terrorism, Tort Law and Insurance, A Comparative Survey (2004), 197–203. See also Rabin/Bratis (fn. 6), no. 29 and 38–45.

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  26. Rabin/Bratis (fn. 6), no. 29.

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  27. See, for more details, Rabin/Bratis (fn. 6), no. 30.

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  28. Rabin/Bratis (fn. 6), no. 36, 333.

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  29. Rabin/Bratis (fn. 6), no. 36.

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  30. Ibid.

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  31. Rabin/Bratis (fn. 6), no. 31.

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  32. See, for more detail, Rabin/Bratis (fn. 6), no. 31–32.

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  34. See, for more detail, Rabin/Bratis (fn. 6), no. 32.

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  35. Rabin/Bratis (fn. 6), no. 32, 330.

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  36. Ibid.

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  37. R. van den Bergh, Compulsory Catastrophe Extension of First Party Insurance from a Competition Policy Perspective, in: M. Faure/T. Hartlief (eds.), Financial Compensation for Victims of Catastrophes: A Comparative Legal Approach (2006), 361–387.

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  38. Rabin/Bratis (fn. 6), no. 36, 334.

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  39. Ibid.

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  40. See O. Moréteau, More personal responsibility, Topics, Münchener Rück Munich Re Group, 2/2005 at 12.

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  41. Politicians also call to emotion and imagination, like President George W. Bush in his speech on Jackson Square, New Orleans, a few days after hurricane Katrina: “And all who question the future of the Crescent City need to know there is no way to imagine America without New Orleans, and this great city will rise again.” (15 September 2005, http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/09/20050915-8.html).

  42. See A. Monti/F.A. Chiaves, Financial Compensation for Victims of Catastrophes, Italy, in: M. Faure/T. Hartlief (es.), Financial Compensation for Victims of Catastrophes: A Comparative Legal Approach (2006), 145–194, no. 3; see, more generally, S. Stjernø, Solidarity in Europe: The History of an Idea, (Universitetet i Oslo-2004).

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  43. See, for more detail, Moréteau/Cannarsa/Lafay (fn. 2), no. 5 and 12–17.

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  44. Moréteau/Cannarsa/Lafay (fn. 2), no. 6.

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  45. See, for more detail, Moréteau/Cannarsa/Lafay (fn. 2), no. 30–38.

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  46. CAA Lyon (Administrative Court of Appeal), 13 May 1997, Droit administratif (Dr. adm.) July 1997, 7, and Moréteau/Cannarsa/Lafay (fn. 2), no. 37.

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  47. Moréteau/Lafay (fn. 1), no. 6–15; Moré teau/Cannarsa/Lafay (fn. 2), no. 29.

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  48. Moréteau/Lafay (fn. 1), no. 15.

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  49. Cour de cassation, Chambre criminelle (Cass. Crim.), 20 October 1993, [1994] D. 280, note Anne d’Hauteville, discussed in O. Moréteau/F. Lafay (fn. 1), no. 16–20.

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  50. Moréteau/Cannarsa/Lafay (fn. 2), no. 81.

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  51. Law No. 82-600 of 13 July 1982 relating to the compensation of victims of natural catastrophes, presently Code des assurances, article L 125-1 to L 125-6. See Moréteau/Cannarsa/Lafay (fn. 2), no. 19.

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  52. Article L 125-1 par. 3, translation Legigrance (<http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr>).

  53. Moréteau/Cannarsa/Lafay (fn. 2), no. 19.

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  54. See, for more detail on this disaster, Moréteau/Cannarsa/Lafay (fn. 2), no. 81–82.

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  55. Moréteau/Cannarsa/Lafay (fn. 2), no. 26.

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  56. Code des assurances, art. L. 421-16; Moréteau/Cannarsa/Lafay (fn. 2), no. 27.

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  57. R. Van den Bergh/M. Faure, Compulsory Insurance of Loss to Property caused by Natural Disasters: Competition or Solidarity?, in: 29 World Competition (2006), 25–54, at 26.

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  58. An additional 12% is charged on property insurance policies to cover natural catastrophes. Regarding automobile insurance, there is an additional 6% of the premium covering theft and fire and 0.5% of premiums relating to damage insurance. See, for more detail, Moréteau/Cannarsa/Lafay (fn. 2), no. 51.

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  59. On the CCR, see Moréteau/Cannarsa/Lafay (fn. 2), no. 52.

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  60. The CCR also acts as a reinsurer for the French insurance companies; a victim may not call directly on the CCR. The CCR also protects insurance companies for the share they themselves are supposed to cover, through a stop-loss system. See Moréteau/Cannarsa/Lafay (fn. 2), no. 52.

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  61. Moréteau/Cannarsa/Lafay (fn. 2), no. 53.

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  62. Moréteau/Cannarsa/Lafay (fn. 2), no. 68.

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  63. Code des assurances, art. A 125-1. Moréteau/Cannarsa/Lafay (fn. 2), no. 67.

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  64. On the financial health of the French Caisse centrale de réassurance, see Moré teau/Cannarsa/Lafay (fn. 2), no. 52.

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  65. R. Van den Bergh/M. Faure, (fn. 81), at 51. They conclude that the French model, which has been followed by a significant number of countries not covered in the present study, may benefit from a solidarity exception.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana

    Olivier Moréteau (Professor of Law, Russell B. Long Eminent Scholars Academic Chair, Director of the Center of Civil Law Studies)

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  1. Olivier Moréteau
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Willem H. van Boom Michael Faure

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Moréteau, O. (2007). Policing the Compensation of Victims of Catastrophes: Combining Solidarity and Self-Responsibility. In: van Boom, W.H., Faure, M. (eds) Shifts in Compensation Between Private and Public Systems. Tort and Insurance Law, vol 22. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-211-71554-3_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-211-71554-3_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-211-71553-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-211-71554-3

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