What were the tort (litigation) costs as a percentage of GDP in Canada
in 2000 (or any subsequent year)?  U.S. Tort costs as a percentage of
GDP in 2000 were released by Tillinghast-Towers Perrin but there were
no other countries included.

According to a June 2003 article at canadianunderwriter.ca, tort costs
in Canada are 0.8% of GDP.

Excerpt:

As such, Smith suggests that not only have underwriters dug themselves
into a deep hole as a result of the previous soft market, but that the
"risk environment" has changed with emerging perils through terrorism,
mold, corporate governance and overall greater tort exposure.
"Consider the U.S. for the moment: the cost of the U.S. tort system,
currently estimated at US$198 billion per annum, is set to rise to
US$298 billion by 2005. That's a staggering 51% increase over three
years. It will then represent 2.4% of U.S. GDP [gross domestic
product]

(..) 

?Things aren't that bad in Canada - not yet anyway. Tort costs are
0.8% of GDP, but provinces opened up to class actions last year, and
claims costs were up an extraordinary 16.7%."

Canadian Underwriter, June 2003
http://www.canadianunderwriter.ca/issues/ISarticle.asp?id=100640&story_id=169184155413&issue=06012003&PC=

Nicholas Smith Speech to IBABC, May 8, 2003
http://www.obia.on.ca/auto%20insurance/N_Smith_speech_for_IBABC.pdf


From Strategis, Industry Canada?s Website:

?Less Litigation: Canada is a far less litigious country than the U.S.
- tort costs have traditionally been less than 1%of GDP, well under
half the U.S. rate.
Result: Much lower liability insurance costs for Canadian-based operations.?
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/inchemicals-chimiques.nsf/en/bt01161e.html
http://judiciary.senate.gov/testimony.cfm?id=963&wit_id=2729


?Tort costs in Denmark, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Canada and
Switzerland are all estimated to be less than 1 percent of GDP.?

Source: 
Who Pays for Tort Liability Claims?
An Economic Analysis of the U.S. Tort Liability System
Council of Economic Advisers
April 2002
http://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/tortliabilitysystem_apr02.pdf



Search criteria:
Tort costs to GDP site:.ca
Tort Costs in Canada
Canada tort system "percent of GDP"


I hope you find this helpful! 

Best regards,
Bobbie7

---

Request for Answer Clarification by wardjame-ga on 19 May 2004 11:23 PDT

I need a cited source showing that the numbers being used are more
recent than 1998.  bobbie7-ga's links are good but after further
investigation I beleive they are all citing the same 1998 data.

---

Clarification of Answer by bobbie7-ga on 19 May 2004 11:26 PDT

Dear Wardjam,   

I will do additional research and see if I can locate more recent numbers.

Thank you for your patience,
Bobbie7

---

Clarification of Answer by bobbie7-ga on 19 May 2004 18:01 PDT

Dear Wardjame,

I search all afternoon and unfortunately I was not able to locate
other figures for you.

The article at canadianunderwriter.ca that said that tort costs
in Canada are 0.8% of GDP that was dated June 2003.

I didn?t realize that they were citing 1998 data.

I sent off an email to canadianunderwriter.ca inquiring about tort
costs as a percentage of GDP and they replied that they didn?t know.

If the information that I provided for you in my answer is not
satisfactory  please let me know.

Sincerely,
Bobbie7