This book is a penetrating account of the singular way in which the American tort system has evolved and works today. Drawing on years of international experience, Fleming discusses such topics as judicial activism, the jury in civil trials, trial lawyers, contingent fees, and mass litigation.

The principal concern of the law of torts is to repair accident losses. but its role has altered over the years as a result of such factors as the wider use of private and liability insurance. This completely revised and updated edition looks at the effect of these changes on the law, and an entirely new chapter compares tort with no-fault compensation in the light of accepted accident compensation policies.