The Environment
The additional strain that global societies have experienced due to COVID-19 has heightened awareness of the fragility caused by a network of pre-existing risks. Natural disasters, extreme weather and water crises have severe consequences for humanity, as do the domestic and interstate conflicts that lead to war, acts of terror and involuntary mass migration.
The Risk
Social inflation, referring to the rising cost of insurance claims resulting from increases in litigation and broader definitions of liability, has been impacting the outcome of cases with increasing frequency. In the instance that bodily harm could have happened – even if it didn’t actually – the trend is to play on the emotions of the jury, encouraging a more plaintiff friendly jury verdict and larger awards by triggering the jury members’ threat responses.
The Need
The World Bank estimates that between 70-100 million people will be pushed into poverty as a result of the pandemic and unemployment rates will continue to rocket.In the US, more people have now filed for unemployment as a result of the pandemic than did during the 2007-2009 financial crisis. The cost of health care continues to be daunting for many Americans. More than half (54%) of US. adults say they have delayed health care or put it off completely, because they can’t afford it.