RAND Kenneth R. Feinberg Center for Catastrophic Risk Management and Compensation

The RAND Kenneth R. Feinberg Center for Catastrophic Risk Management and Compensation, or Feinberg Center, seeks to identify and promote laws, programs, and institutions that reduce the adverse social and economic effects of natural and manmade catastrophes by

  • Improving incentives to reduce future losses
  • Providing just compensation to those suffering losses while appropriately allocating liability to responsible parties
  • Helping affected individuals, businesses, and communities to recover quickly
  • Avoiding unnecessary legal, administrative, and other transaction costs

COVID-19 Liability and Compensation

  • Joe Garcia waits to get tested in his car for COVID-19 in Austin, Texas, June 28, 2020, photo by Sergio Flores/Reuters

    COVID-19's Impacts on California's Workers' Compensation System

    California Senate Bill (SB) 1159 facilitated access to workers' compensation (WC) benefits for select groups of workers with a high risk of COVID-19 exposure. What were the effects of COVID-19 claims on the California workers' compensation system and on the payment of workers' compensation benefits?

    May 26, 2022

More COVID-19 compensation and liability research and commentary

Featured Research and Commentary

  • Sitka, Alaska from the water, with mountains in the background, photo by AlexSava/Getty Images

    Options for Improving Availability of Residential Landslide Insurance in Sitka, Alaska

    Landslides pose a serious risk to lives and property in Sitka and other parts of Southeast Alaska. Following a devastating landslide in 2015, what little insurance coverage was available for residential properties prior to the slide disappeared. Researchers examine how the market changed after the 2015 landslide and offer four approaches to make landslide coverage more available.

    Jun 7, 2023

  • Stranded passengers wait at Orlando International Airport as flights were grounded after the FAA system outage, in Orlando, Florida, January 11, 2023, photo by Lou Mongello via Reuters

    Grounded: The FAA Alert System Failure Could Be a Wake-Up Call

    It turned out to be a system failure that grounded thousands of flights on January 11, but U.S. critical infrastructure faces a range of threats—from Russian hackers, to weather events, to angry individuals with guns. The government and organizations responsible for critical infrastructure can take steps to actively manage these risks.

    Jan 13, 2023

  • The city of Sitka, Alaska, at dawn. Photo by filo / Getty Images

    Efforts to End a Stalemate in Landslide Insurance Availability Through Inclusive Policymaking

    Stalemates frequently obstruct disaster risk management related initiatives, including related to risk financing. Landslide insurance in Sitka, Alaska, is a classic stalemate, as diverse stakeholders see the value of offering a landslide insurance policy, but their respective concerns and information gaps stymie their ability to feel confident in decision-making.

    Jul 28, 2022

  • Joe Garcia waits to get tested in his car for COVID-19 in Austin, Texas, June 28, 2020, photo by Sergio Flores/Reuters

    COVID-19's Impacts on California's Workers' Compensation System

    California Senate Bill (SB) 1159 facilitated access to workers' compensation (WC) benefits for select groups of workers with a high risk of COVID-19 exposure. What were the effects of COVID-19 claims on the California workers' compensation system and on the payment of workers' compensation benefits?

    May 26, 2022

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