Law Commons^™

The Earth As Eggshell Victim: A Global Perspective On Domestic Regulation, Alfred C. Aman

Articles by Maurer Faculty

In the now famous case of Vosburg v. Putney, the Wisconsin Court enunciated the common law doctrine since known as the "eggshell skull" or "thin skull" rule: you take your victim as you find him. The thin skull rule is a productive starting point for a dialogue on the place of law in any effort to control (or reverse) the cumulative damage to the planet's ecosystem. Any such dialogue requires a global perspective that fuses international and domestic approaches to law. Environmental law must assess not only the level of assault against the earth, but also the risk of the …