Is Money a Cure? Follow-up of Litigants in England

Abstract

American and British authors collaborated on a follow-up study in England of accident victims who brought litigation which had been resolved. Eighteen subjects who had complained of psychiatric symptoms during the course of the litigation were recruited from the British psychiatrist's files. Based on review of court documents and extensive interviews of the subjects, the authors describe case examples that demonstrate a complicated relationship between monetary compensation and outcome. Some of the litigants improved after they received compensation, but this seemed to be related to issues besides the money, e.g., feelings about their impairment, family support, the loss or gain of a relationship, personality characteristics, and ability to return to work. The authors discuss the results of this study in light of differences between the British and American legal systems.