EconPapers    
Economics at your fingertips  
 

Damages Caps, Insurability, and the Performance of Medical Malpractice Insurance

W Viscusi and Patricia H. Born

Journal of Risk & Insurance, 2005, vol. 72, issue 1, 23-43

Abstract: This article uses the complete property‐casualty insurance files of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners from 1984 to 1991 to assess the effect of medical malpractice reforms pertaining to damages levels and the degree to which these damages are insurable. Limits on noneconomic damages were most influential in affecting insurance market outcomes. Several punitive damages variables specifically affected the medical malpractice insurance market, including limits on punitive damage levels, prohibitions of the insurability of punitive damages, and prohibition of punitive damages awards. Estimates for insurance losses, premiums, and loss ratios indicate effects of reform in the expected directions, where the greatest constraining effects were for losses. The quantile regression analysis of losses indicates that punitive damages reforms and limits were most consequential for firms at the high end of the loss spectrum. Tort reforms also enhanced insurer profitability during this time period.

Date: 2005
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (30)

Downloads: (external link)
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0022-4367.2005.00114.x

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:jrinsu:v:72:y:2005:i:1:p:23-43

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.wiley.com/bw/subs.asp?ref=0022-4367

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Risk & Insurance is currently edited by Joan T. Schmit

More articles in Journal of Risk & Insurance from The American Risk and Insurance Association Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Wiley Content Delivery ().

 
Page updated 2025-03-24
Handle: RePEc:bla:jrinsu:v:72:y:2005:i:1:p:23-43