Unification of Tort Law: Damages

U. Magnus (Editor)

F. D. Busnelli / G. ComandeH. A. Cousy / A. VanderspikkenS. Galand-CarvalK. KerameusH. KoziolU. MagnusJ. NeethlingW. V. H. RogersG. SchwartzM. H. Wissink / W. H. van Boom

K L U W E R L A WINTERNATIONAL

THE HAGUE - LONDON - BOSTON

Contents

Questionnaire on the Law of Damages 3

Austria (Helmut Koziol, Vienna)

Part I - General questions on the law of damages1. The aims of the law of damages 72. The general principles of the law of damages 8

(a) Complete or limited compensation? 8(b) Restitution in kind and compensation in money 9

3. Different forms of damages 94. General or specific legislation on the law and/or measurement of damages 105. Notion of damage 106. Different types of damage 10

(a) Damage in reality 11(b) Patrimonial damage by way of calculation 11(c) Non-patrimonial damage 11(d) Distinction between patrimonial and non-patrimonial damage 12

7. Assessment of non-patrimonial damage 13(a) Measure of non-patrimonial damage 13(b) Different heads of non-pecuniary loss 13

8. Calculation of the recoverable patrimonial damage 14(a) Objective-abstract calculation of actual loss 14(b) Subjective-concrete calculation of pecuniary interest 14(c) Expenses for restoration 15

9. Compensation of the following losses when no other actual damage is present . . 15(a) Pure loss of use 15(b) Pure loss of earning capacity 15(c) Pure loss of holiday or free time 16(d) Damage to things which remain unrepaired 16(e) Expenses which become frustrated by the tortious act 16

10. Compensation for emotional shock and loss of consortium 1711. Compensation for illegitimate losses 1712. Special rules for the compensation of collective damages 1713. Special rules for the compensation of ecological damage 1814. The harm done to the victim causes him an advantage as well 18

(a) Objective-abstract calculation 18(b) Subjective-concrete calculation 18

15. Rules on certainty of damage 1816. Compensation awarded as rent or as lump sum 19

Part II - Cases1. Wrongful birth case 19

(a) Maintenance for the child 19(b) Lost earnings 20

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(c) Pain and suffering 202. Wrongful life case 20

(a) Claim of the mother 20(b) Claim of the child 20

3. Eye injury 214. Costs for hospital visits and adaptation of house 21

(a) Hospital visits of the wife 21(b) Adaptation of the house 21

5. Scar case 216. Continued payment of wages 227. Monk case 228. Lost earning capacity 229. Lost spouse/partner 23

10. Offending publication 2311. Rosenkavalier case 2312. Prostitute case 2413. Mercedes case 2414. Loss of use 2415. Damaged, but unrepaired car 2416. Additional car damage 2517. Damaged railway wagon 2518. Detective case 2519. Death of parents 26

Belgium (H. A. Cousy and Anja Vanderspikken, Leuven)

Part I - General questions1. Aims of the law of damages 27

(a) The law of torts 27(b) The law of contracts 27

2. General principles of the law of damages 293. Different forms of damages 30

(a) With regard to punitive or exemplary damages 30(b) With regard to 'nominal damages' 30

4. Legislation on damages 305. Definition of recoverable damage 316. Different types of damages 317. Monetary assessment of non-patrimonial damage 318. Calculation of patrimonial damage 32

(a) Subjective/objective, abstract/concrete method 32(b) Main principles on the calculation of compensation 32(c) The moment at which the amount of damage is assessed 32(d) The capitalisation method 33(e) Which factors play a role ? 33

9. Compensation for particular kinds of losses 3310. Compensation for emotional shock and loss of consortium 34

Contents

11. Compensation of illegitimate losses 3412. Compensation of collective damage 3413. Special rules on compensation of ecological damage 35

(a) The rule that damage must be personally incurred and certain 35(b) Calculation of the compensation for ecological damage 36(c) An application 37

14. Harm causing also advantages 37(a) General conditions to be fulfilled for taking into account the advantages

rendered to the victim 37(b) Classifcation 37

15. Certainty of damage 38(a) Future damages 38(b) Hypothetical damage 40(c) Other aspects on certainty 40

Part II - Cases1. Wrongful birth case 402. Wrongful life case 40

(a) The wrongful life action of the child 40(b) The wrongful birth claim of the parents 41

3. Eye injury 414. Costs for hospital visits and of adaptation of house 42

(a) Adaptation of the house 42(b) Costs for hospital visits 42

5. Scar case 426. Continued payment of wages 427. Monk case 438. Lost earning capacity 43

(a) General remarks on the compensation for permanent invalidity 43(b) Specific remarks with regard to the permanent incapacity sustained by

children and students 44(c) Basis of calculation if a were the 6 year old child of a family with a low

income, a having shown quite normal abilities so far. 45(d) B's negligence leading to a's being rendered clinically dead 45

9. Lost spouse / partner 45(a) General principles 45(b) Non-marital partner 45(c) A's husband who maintained the household is killed in an accident for which

B is responsible 4610. Offending publication 4711. Rosenkavalier case 4712. Prostitute case 4713. Mercedes case 4714. Loss of use 48

(a) The recoverability of damage resulting from a loss of use in general 48

Contents

(b) Assessment of compensation for loss of use applied to cars 4915. Damaged, but unrepaired car 5016. Additional car damage 5117. Damaged railway wagon 5118. Detective case 5119. Death of parents 51

England (W. V. Horton Rogers, Nottingham)

Part I - General questions on the law of damages1. Aims of the law of damages 532. General principles of the law of damages 553. Different forms of damages 554. Legislation on damages 565. Definition of recoverable damage 576. Different types of damages 58

(a) Damage to person, property, economic loss 58(b) Actual/future loss 58(c) Direct/indirect losses 58(d) Damnum emergens/lucrum cessans 58(e) Patrimonial/non-patrimonial loss 59(f) Contract and tort 59

7. Monetary assessment of non-patrimonial damage 618. Calculation of patrimonial damage 629. Compensation for particular kinds of losses 64

(a) Pure loss of use 64(b) Pure loss of earning capacity 64(c) Pure loss of holiday or free time 65(d) Damage to things which remain unrepaired 65

10. Compensation for emotional shock and loss of consortium 6511. Compensation of illegitimate losses 6612. Compensation of collective damage 6613. Special rules on compensation of ecological damage 6614. Harm causing also advantages 6615. Certainty of damage 6716. Lump sum or rent 68

Part II - Cases1. Wrongful birth case 682. Wrongful life case 693. Eye injury 694. Costs for hospital visits and of adaptation of house 695. Scar case 706. Continued payment of wages 707. Monk case 718. Lost earning capacity 71

Contents xi

9. Lost spouse/partner 7210. Offending publication 7211. Rosenkavalier case 7312. Prostitute case 7313. Mercedes case 7414. Loss of use 74

(a) Immobilised car 74(b) Lost use of house 74

15. Damaged, but unrepaired car 74(a) Sale of unrepaired car 74(b) and (c) cost of repair and worth of the car 75

6. Additional car damage 75(a) Accident car 75(b) New for old 75(c) Rent of garage 75

17. Damaged railway wagon 7518. Detective case 7619. Death of parents 76

France (Suzanne Galand-Carval, Paris)

Part I - General questions1. Aims of the law of damages/comparison with the aims of tort law 772. General principles of the law of damages 783. Different forms of damages 794. Legislation on damages 795. Definition of recoverable damage 796. Different types of damage 807. Monetary assessment of non-patrimonial damage 818. Calculation of patrimonial damage 819. Compensation for particular kinds of losses 82

10. Compensation for emotional shock and loss of consortium 8311. Compensation of illegitimate losses 8312. Compensation of collective damage 8313. Special rules on compensation of ecological damage 8314. Harm causing also advantages 8415. Certainty of damage 8416. Lump sum or rent 84

Part II - Cases1/2. Wrongful birth and wrongful life 84

3. Eye injury 854. Costs for hospital visits and of adaptation of house 855. Scar case 856. Continued payment of wages 857. Monk case 85

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8. Lost earning capacity 869. Lost spouse / partner 86

10. Offending publication 8611. Rosenkavalier case 8612. Prostitute case 8613. Mercedes case 8714. Loss of use 8715. Damaged, but unrepaired car 8716. Additional car damage 8717. Damaged railway wagon 8718. Detective case 8819. Death of parents 88

Germany (Ulrich Magnus, Hamburg)

Part I - General questions on the law of damages1. Aims of law of damages 892. General principles of the law of damages 91

(a) Full compensation 91(b) Restitution in kind 91(c) Compensation for the lost worth 92

3. Different forms of damages 924. Legislation on damages 925. Definition of recoverable damage 936. Different types of damage 94

(a) Patrimonial/pecuniary and non-patrimonial/non-pecuniary damage 94(b) Contractual and tortious damage 95(c) Damage to person or property and pure economic loss 95(d) Damnum emergens and lucrum cessans 95

7. Monetary assessment of non-patrimonial damage 958. Calculation of patrimonial damage 969. Compensation of particular kinds of losses 97

(a) Pure loss of use 97(b) Pure loss of earning capacity 97(c) Pure loss of holiday or free time 98(d) Damage to things which remain unrepaired 98(e) Frustrated expenses 98

10. Compensation for emotional shock and loss of consortium 98(a) Emotional shock 98(b) Loss of consortium 99

11. Compensation of illegitimate losses 9912. Compensation of collective damage 9913. Special rules on compensation of ecological damage 9914. Harm causing also advantages 10015. Certainty of damage 10016. Lump sum or rent 100

Contents xiii

Part II - Cases1. Wrongful birth case 101

(a) Maintenance 101(b) Lost earning 101(c) 'Tort moral' 101

2. Wrongful life case 1013. Eye injury 1024. Costs for hospital visits and of adaptation of house 1025. Scar case 1026. Continued payment of wages 1027. Monk case 1028. Lost earning capacity 103

(a) Chemistry student 103(b) Child of six years 103(c) Living death 103

9. Lost spouse/partner 103(a) Pretium doloris and maintenance 103(b) Lost services 103

10. Offending publication 10411. Rosenkavalier case 10412. Prostitute case 10413. Mercedes case 10414. Loss of use 105

(a) Immobilised car 105(b) Lost use of house 105

15. Damaged, but unrepaired car 105(a) Sale of unrepaired car 105(b) Costs of repair higher than worth 105(c) Costs of repair higher than difference between worth of undamaged and

damaged car 10616. Additional car damage 106

(a) Accident car 106(b) New for old 106(c) Rent of garage 106

17. Damaged railway wagon 10618. Detective Case 10719. Death of parents 107

Greece (Konstantinos D. Kerameus)

Part I - General Questions1. Aims of the law of damages 1092. General principles of the law of damages 1093. Different forms of damages 1104. Legislation on damages 1105. Definition of recoverable damage 110

xiv Contents

6. Different types of damages 1107. Monetary assessment of non-patrimonial damage I l l8. Calculation of patrimonial damage 1129. Compensation for particular kinds of losses 112

10. Compensation for emotional shock and loss of consortium 11211. Compensation of illegitimate losses 11312. Compensation of collective damage 11313. Special rules on compensation of ecological damage 11314. Harm causing also advantages 11315. Certainty of damage 11316. Lump sum or rent 113

Part II - Cases1. Wrongful birth case 1142. Wrongful life case 1143. Eye injury 1144. Costs for hospital visits and of adaptation of house 1145. Scar case 1146. Continued payment of wages 1147. Monk case 1148. Lost earning capacity 1159. Lost spouse / partner 115

10. Offending publication 11511. Rosenkavalier case 11512. Prostitute case 11513. Mercedes case 11514. Loss of use 11615. Damaged, but unrepaired car 11616. Additional car damage 11617. Damaged railway wagon 11618. Detective case 11619. Death of parents 116

Italy (F. D. Busnelli and G. Comande, Pisa)

Part I - General questions on the law of damages1. Aims of the law of damages 1172. General principles of the law of damages 1183. Different forms of damages 1184. Legislation on damages 1195. Definition of recoverable damage 1206. Different types of damages 1217. Monetary assessment of non-patrimonial damage 1248. Calculation of patrimonial damage 1259. Compensation for particular kinds of losses 127

10. Compensation for emotional shock and loss of consortium 128

Contents xv

11. Compensation of illegitimate losses 12912. Compensation of collective damage 12913. Special rules on compensation of ecological damage 12914. Harm causing also advantages 12915. Certainty of damage 12916. Lump sum or rent 130

Part II - Cases1. Wrongful birth case 1302. Wrongful life case 1313. Eye injury 1324. Costs for hospital visits and of adaptation of house 1325. Scar case 1326. Continued payment of wages 1337. Monk case 1338. Lost earning capacity 1349. Lost spouse / partner 134

10. Offending publication 13611. Rosenkavalier case 13712. Prostitute case 13813. Mercedes case 13814. Loss of use 138

(a) Immobilised car 138(b) Lost use of house 138

15. Damaged, but unrepaired car 139(a) Sale of unrepaired car 139(b) and (c) unworthy car repairs 139

16. Additional car damage 140(a) Accident car 140(b) New for old 140(c) Rent of garage 140

17. Damaged railway wagon 14018. Detective case 14019. Death of parents 140

The Netherlands (Mark H. Wissink, Leiden and Willem H. van Boom, Tilburg)

Part I - General questions on the law of damagesGeneral remarks 143

1. Aims of the law of damages 1442. General principles of the law of damages 1453. Different forms of damages 1454. Legislation on damages 1455. Definition of recoverable damage 1466. Different types of damages 1477. Monetary assessment of non-patrimonial damage 148

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8. Calculation of patrimonial damage 1499. Compensation for particular kinds of losses 150

10. Compensation for emotional shock and loss of consortium 15111. Compensation of illegitimate losses 15112. Compensation of collective damage 15213. Special rules on compensation of ecological damage 15214. Harm causing also advantages 15215. Certainty of damage 15316. Lump sum or rent 153

Part II - Cases1. Wrongful birth case 1542. Wrongful life case 1543. Eye injury 1544. Costs for hospital visits and of adaptation of house 1545. Scar case 1546. Continued payment of wages 1557. Monk case 1558. Lost earning capacity 1559. Lost spouse/partner 155

10. Offending publication 15511. Rosenkavalier case 15612. Prostitute case 15613. Mercedes case 15614. Loss of use 15615. Damaged, but unrepaired car 15716. Additional car damage 15717. Damaged railway wagon 15718. Detective case 15819. Death of parents 158

South Africa (Johann Neethling, Pretoria)

Part I General questions on law of damages1. Aims of the law of damages 1592. General principles of the law of damages 1603. Different forms of damages 1604. Legislation on damages 1615. Definition of recoverable damage 1616. Different types of damage 1627. Monetary assessment of non-patrimonial damage 1638. Calculation of patrimonial damage 1649. Compensation for particular kinds of losses 165

10. Compensation for emotional shock and loss of consortium 16611. Compensation of illegitimate losses 16612. Compensation of collective damage 167

Contents xvii

13. Special rules on compensation of ecological damage 16714. Harm causing also advantages 16715. Certainty of damage 16716. Lump sum or rent 167

Part II - Cases1. Wrongful birth case 1682. Wrongful life case 1683. Eye injury 1684. Costs for hospital visits and of adaptation of house 1685. Scar case 1686. Continued payment of wages 1697. Monk case 1698. Lost earning capacity 1699. Lost spouse / partner 170

10. Offending publication 17011. Rosenkavalier case 17112. Prostitute case 17113. Mercedes case 17114. Loss of use 171

(a) Immobilised car 171(b) Lost use of house 172

15. Damaged, but unrepaired car 17216. Additional car damage 172

(a) Accident car 172(b) New for old 172(c) Rent of garage 173

17. Damaged railway wagon 17318. Detective case 17319. Death of parents 173

United States (Gary Schwartz, Los Angeles)

Part I - General questions1. Aims of the law of damages 1752. General principles of the law of damages 1753. Different forms of damages 1754. Legislation on damages 176

5/6. Definition of recoverable damage/different types of damages 1767. Monetary assessment of non-patrimonial damage 1768. Calculation of patrimonial damage 1779. Compensation for particular kinds of losses 177

10. Compensation for emotional shock and loss of consortium 17811. Compensation of illegitimate losses 178

12/13. Compensation of collective damage 17814. Harm causing also advantages 178

xviii Contents

15. Certainty of damage 17916. Lump sum or rent 179

Part II - Cases1. Wrongful birth case 1792. Wrongful life case 1793. Eye injury 1794. Costs for hospital visits and of adaptation of house 1805. Scar case 1806. Continued payment of wages 1807. Monk case 1808. Lost earning capacity 1809. Lost spouse/partner 180

10. Offending publication 18111. Rosenkavalier case 18112. Prostitute case 18113. Mercedes case 18114. Loss of use 18115. Damaged, but unrepaired car 18116. Additional car damage 18217. Damaged railway wagon 18218. Detective case 18219. Death of parents 182

Comparative Report on the Law of DamagesPart I - General questions on the law of damages

1. Aims of the law of damages 185(a) Compensation 185(b) Prevention 185(c) Sanction/punishment 186(d) Declaration of right/'Rechtsfortsetzungsfunktion' 187(e) Restitutionary damages/gain avoidance 187(f) Summing up 187

2. General principles of the law of damages 188(a) Full or limited compensation 188(b) Restitution in kind v. compensation in money 188

3. Different forms of damages 1894. Legislation on damages 1895. Definition of recoverable damage 1906. Different types of damage 191

(a) Pecuniary and non-pecuniary loss 192(b) Contractual and tortious damage 192(c) Direct and indirect damage 193(d) Actual and future damage; damnum emergens and lucrum cessans 193(e) Damage to person and property and pure economic loss 193

Contents xix

(f) Summary 1937. Monetary assessment of non-pecuniary damage 194

(a) Distinction 194(b) Assessment 194(c) Summary 195

8. Calculation of pecuniary damage 195(a) General method 195(b) Abstract v. concrete calculation 196(c) Assessing the value of the damaged position 197(d) Standardisation 197(e) Free disposal of awarded damages? 197(f) Further factors governing the assessment 198

9. Losses on the borderline between pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage 198(a) Pure loss of use 198(b) Pure loss of earning capacity 198(c) Pure loss of holiday or free time 199(d) Damage to things which remain unrepaired 199(e) Frustrated expenses 200

10. Compensation for emotional shock and loss of consortium 200(a) Compensation for emotional shock 200(b) Loss of consortium 201

11. Compensation of illegitimate losses 20112. Compensation of collective damage 20213. Special rules on compensation of ecological damage 20214. Collateral benefits 20315. Certainty of damage 20416. Lump sum or rent 204

Part II - CasesDamage to the person 205

1. Wrongful birth case 205(a) Maintenance 205(b) Lost earnings 205(c) Pain and suffering 206

2. Wrongful life case 2063. Eye injury 2074. Costs for hospital visits and of adaptation of house 2075. Cost of operation for scar 2076. Continued payment of wages 2087. Monk case 2088. Future income losses; living dead 209

(a) The injured chemistry student 209(b) Child of six years 210(c) Living dead 210

xx Contents

9. Lost spouse or partner 210(a) Pretium doloris for death of spouse or partner 210(b) Maintenance 211(c) Loss of services 211

10. Offending publication 21111. Rosenkavalier case 212

(a) Compensation for paid fee 212(b) 'Tort moral' 212

12. Injured prostitute 213Damage to things 213

13. Mercedes case 21314. Loss of use 213

(a) Lost use of car 213(b) Lost use of house 214

15. Damaged, but unrepaired car 214(a) Cost of fictitious repair 214(b) Cost of repairs exceeding value of car 215(c) Cost of repairs exceeding diminution in value 215(d) Summary 215

16. Additional car damages 215(a) Accident car 215(b) New for old 216(c) Useless rent for garage 216

17. Damaged railway wagon 216Pure economic loss 217

18. Detective case 217Compensation of advantages and disadvantages; collateral benefits 217

19. Death of parents 217

Index 219