This book applies social context to offer an understanding of the law concerning accidents, personal injury and death

Peter Cane is Senior Research Fellow at Christ's College, Cambridge and Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Law at the Australian National University College of Law.

Part I. The Issues in Perspective: 1. Introduction: surveying the field; Part II. The Tort System in Theory: 2. Fault as a basis of liability; 3. The scope of the tort of negligence; 4. Departures from the fault principle; 5. Causation and remoteness of damage; 6. Damages for personal injury and death; 7. An appraisal of the fault principle; Part III. The Tort System in Operation: 8. Claims and claimants; 9. Tortfeasors and insurers; 10. Settlements and trials; Part IV. Other Compensation Systems: 11. First-party insurance; 12. Compensation for criminal injuries; 13. The social security system; 14. Other forms of assistance; Part V. The Overall Picture: 15. A plethora of systems; 16. The cost of compensation and who pays it; 17. The functions of compensation systems; Part VI. The Future: 18. Accident compensation in the twenty-first century.