以美國法觀點論侵害生命法益之民事損害賠償問題

A Discussion of Issues Regarding Wrongful Death Damages: Based on U.S. Tort Law

美國侵權行為法歷經數個世紀的判例法與制定法的累積，所呈現的原理原則因世代的變遷而產生多元的風貌；不當致死所生之民事侵權問題，恰巧印證此一趨勢。普通法法院所堅持之侵害生命權不存在損害賠償的概念，在制定法的刻意變更下，成為重要的損害賠償類型。所謂的「不當致死法」與「遺存訴因法」因運而生，且幾乎成為各州州法的標準配備，亦係侵權行為法的特例。然而美國各州所通過的不當致死相關法律不盡然相同，各州議會對侵害生命權之賠償客體各有看法，進而牽動法院的實務判決。本文的目的係在分析因不當致死所生之財產上與非產上的損失型態，討論各州不同的觀點，或是爭議較大的領域，其中尤以我國法律所不熟悉的類型作為重點，希冀藉此探討對我國相關規定的改革有所助益。

Unlike personal injury damages, wrongful death damages has long been denied by common law principles. In most common law jurisdictions, there was no common law right to recover civil damages for the wrongful death of a person. To alleviate the unfairness brought by the denial, most U.S. states enacted statutes to create a right to such recovery for the deceased’s survivals. Besides, most jurisdictions also enacted survival statutes that permits survivors to seek damages for claims that the decedent would have had, but for his death, as with a claim for pain and suffering between time of injury and death; the claim becomes an asset of the estate. Although nearly all U.S. states are equipped by the wrongful death statute and survival statute, the details of these laws are not identical. Each state has different attitude toward wrongful death claims. The article lays focus on issues regarding the differences and discussions are concentrated on some types of damage that are unseen in Taiwan’s civil laws.