Cumulative Harm, Products Liability, and Bilateral Care

We extend consideration of cumulative harm in products liability to the case of bilateral care. For this specification, the level of care and the level of output chosen by the firm are inextricably interrelated, and different liability regimes yield different combinations of care and output. As in the case of bilateral care with proportional harm, strict liability by itself leads to moral hazard on the part of the consumer, but strict liability with a defense of contributory negligence on the part of the consumer is now a resilient (that is, both robust and convergent) liability rule when harm is cumulative

Revelation and Suppression of Private Information in Settlement Bargaining Models

We discuss the implications of various models of settlement negotiations for the revelation or suppression of private information held by the parties. This information may be relevant to multiple audiences, including those involved in the instant lawsuit; other potential litigants that may subsequently make use of the information in their own suits against one of the parties; and more distant observers and users of the legal process. We also examine how rules of evidence and rules of civil procedure can sometimes result in different degrees of purposeful or (arguably) unintended information suppression

Revelation and Suppression of Private Information in Settlement Bargaining Models

We discuss the implications of various models of settlement negotiations for the revelation or suppression of private information held by the parties. This information may be relevant to multiple audiences, including those involved in the instant lawsuit; other potential litigants that may subsequently make use of the information in their own suits against one of the parties; and more distant observers and users of the legal process. We also examine how rules of evidence and rules of civil procedure can sometimes result in different degrees of purposeful or (arguably) unintended information suppression