A tariff system for nervous shock: introducing the total impact score

Area of Science:

• Trauma studies
• Forensic psychology
• Legal compensation analysis

Background:

• Quantifying damages for victims of criminal and political violence presents challenges.
• Existing methods may lack simplicity or expedition in assessing psychosocial impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the relationship between a novel Total Impact Score (TIS) and compensation awarded to victims.
• To develop a mathematical formula for expeditious damage quantification.

Main Methods:

• Collected data on 2,191 victims of violence, including incident, victim, and outcome details.
• Developed and validated the Total Impact Score (TIS) as a measure of psychosocial impact.
• Analyzed correlations between TIS and awarded damages in a subsample of 208 attempted assassination survivors.

Main Results:

• The Total Impact Score (TIS) demonstrated validity in measuring psychosocial impact.
• A significant correlation was found between the TIS and the quantum of damages awarded.
• A formula was generated: Compensation = £500 × (10(0.0037t+0.059y) -1), where t is TIS and y is years post-1985.

Conclusions:

• The TIS is a valid and equitable tool for quantifying the psychosocial impact of traumatic events.
• The TIS facilitates a fair and straightforward calculation of compensation for victims.
• This method offers a standardized approach to assessing case value in legal contexts.