Thesis (Ph.D.)--George Mason University, 2007. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Oct. 29, 2007). Thesis director: Roger R. Stough. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Public Policy. Vita: p. 154. Includes bibliographical references (p. 149-153). Also issued in print.

A grounded theory study was conducted to identify, describe and provide a theoretical analysis of the conditions and events surrounding the occurrence of physical trauma. Research questions addressed were: What pattern of behavior is present in individuals prior to experiencing a motor vehicle collision (MVC)?; To what degree do trauma patients view themselves as active participants in a MVC that results in physical injury? Twenty one informants participated in the study. Theoretical sampling involved the use of a variety of sources of data. Vignettes, interviews, songs, commercials and automobile advertisements were triangulated with existing literature. Constant comparative analysis revealed a grounded theory of self protection. Self protection consists of three phases; perceptions of actual control over the environment, experiencing a traumatic event that signifies loss of control over their environment, and self protection to enhance perceptions of actual control over the environment post event. Controlling perceptions influenced use of protection devices and post trauma driving behavior. Self protection involved emotional focused and problem focused strategies similar to that described in the literature. Perceptions of actual control over the environment was not a static trait but appeared to be situationally dependent. The theory explained the behavior of the majority of the informants regardless of their mechanisms of injury; although patients with injuries resulting from violence were omitted from the study. Informants who viewed driving as a pleasurable action with unpredictable outcomes, as a form of risk taking behavior, did not identify self protection strategies post event. The other informants viewed driving as an unconscious, automatized behavior and denied engaging in risk taking prior to the MVC. Findings indicate the need to explore the social context of the American lifestyle and the image of the automobile when explaining self protective strategies. Automobile manufacturers provide the illusion of control over the environment in their advertisements perhaps negating the need for self protection. Rationale for not supporting mandatory protection for the use of seat belts and helmets was provided by the informants. Further testing with contrasting groups is indicated to determine the usefulness of the theory outside the trauma patient population.

University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Law. / There are different notions of justice that support different reasons for compensating people injured in automobile accidents. The' traditional' method of compensating such persons is the tort system, which involves accident victim proving that fault of some other person caused their injury. This system is not a compensation scheme per se, but a means of shifting losses in accordance with community expectations. This system was criticised during the 20th-century for its inequity, expense and delay. Alternative compensation systems developed which supplement or replace tort as a means of access to compensation. These are divided into 'hybrid' systems - add-on, threshold and choice no-fault - and 'pure' no-fault. There are numerous arguments for and against each system and no one scheme has emerged as the system of choice internationally. In Australia, which is a Federation of states and territories, each jurisdiction has a separate scheme. The majority are fault based but with variations in benefit structures. There is also an add-on no-fault system in Tasmania, a threshold no-fault system in Victoria and a pure no-fault scheme covering residents of the Northern Territory. This pattern of diversity could be expected because of reluctance to embrace change when alternatives are not universally viewed as superior. Chapman and Trebilcock argue that the diversity signifies political instability that is not seen in other areas of law such as workplace injuries, products liability and medical malpractice. They hypothesise that because appreciation of facts surrounding automobile accidents and core values within communities across a Federation such as Australia should be similar, the probable reason for diversity is the existence of majority voting cycles and sequence dependent outcomes. A critical analysis of Chapman and Trebilcock's reasoning shows that their basic premise is faulty. An examination of the evidence from the structure of each Australian scheme, and the scheme reviews and debates on points of change during the period from 1970 to date, demonstrates that in relation to Australian automobile accident compensation schemes, Chapman and Trebilcock's theory is probably wrong, and the diversity is a result of rational democratic political processes.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 120-126). Also available online via the University of Tennessee ETD website (http://web.utk.edu/~thesis/etd.shtml).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 83-93).

Thesis (M.S.)--Florida State University, 2003. / Advisor: Lisa K. Spainhour, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Civil Engineering. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Mar. 5, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.C.E.)--University of Central Florida, 2009. / Adviser: Mohamed Abdel-Aty. Includes bibliographical references (p. 155-159).

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.