Epidemiol Health.  2015;37:e2015025. 10.4178/epih/e2015025.

Epidemiological evidence in law: a comment on Supreme Court Decision 2011Da22092, South Korea

• Broadbent

• KMID: 2380662
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4178/epih/e2015025

Abstract

This paper offers a commentary on three aspects of the Supreme Court's recent decision (2011Da22092). First, contrary to the Court's finding, this paper argues that epidemiological evidence can be used to estimate the probability that a given risk factor caused a disease in an individual plaintiff. Second, the distinction between specific and non-specific diseases, upon which the Court relies, is shown to be without scientific basis. Third, this commentary points out that the Court's finding concerning defect of expression effectively enables tobacco companies to profit from the efforts of epidemiologists and others involved in public health to raise awareness of the dangers of smoking.

Keyword

Law; Probability of causation; Smoking; Tobacco; Lung neoplasms

MeSH Terms

Jurisprudence*
Korea*
Lung Neoplasms
Public Health
Risk Factors
Smoke
Smoking
Supreme Court Decisions*
Tobacco
Smoke