Loss of Housekeeping Capacity

Compensation for loss of housekeeping capacity is one of the main heads of damages awarded for personal injury, and therefore of great practical importance to both accident victims and liability insurers. But it has received little scholarly attention from a comparative perspective. This study examines national approaches to the award of such damages and draws comparative conclusions, addressing both the concepts employed in different national systems and, through practical case studies, the quantum of compensation in individual cases.

Auteur

Ernst Karner, Institut für Europäisches Schadenersatzrecht, Wien; Ken Oliphant, Institut für Europäisches Schadenersatzrecht, Wien.

Résumé

The topic is of particular interest for insurers as compensation for loss of housekeeping capacity is one of the main heads of damages awarded for personal injury. Naturally it also has considerable importance for accident victims. Yet it has received relatively little scholarly attention, at least from a comparative perspective.
The aim of this study is to examine national approaches to the award of damages under the head of loss of housekeeping capacity, and to compare the levels of damages so awarded. The research will therefore address both the concepts employed in different national systems and, by means of practical case studies, the compensation actually paid in individual cases.

The results of the research comprise ten country reports (Austria, England and Wales, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain and Switzerland) based on a Questionnaire (Part I: General Part and Doctrine, Part II: Concrete Assessment Examples) and a concluding Comparative Report.
This project, "Loss of Housekeeping Capacity", was undertaken at the request of the Swiss Insurance Association.