Accident compensation - saigaihosho

Japanese: 災害補償 - さいがいほしょう

In a broad sense, it refers to compensation for personal and property damage caused by various disasters, and in a narrow sense, it refers to relief measures (workmen's compensation) for workers (including public servants) and their families for work-related accidents such as injury, illness, disability, or death suffered in the course of their work (official duties).

[Mikio Yoshida]

Disaster compensation in a broad sense

The current law provides for disaster compensation in a broad sense, for example, agricultural disaster compensation, which compensates farmers for losses incurred by wind and flood damage and other unforeseen accidents with agricultural insurance (agricultural mutual aid, agricultural management income insurance) based on the Agricultural Insurance Law, and fishery disaster compensation, which compensates small and medium-sized fishermen for losses incurred by abnormal weather or unforeseen accidents in their fishing business with mutual aid insurance based on the Fishery Disaster Compensation Law. In addition, the Disaster Relief Law was enacted in 1947 (Showa 22) for the purpose of emergency relief for various disasters such as earthquakes and heavy rains, and has been applied to many disasters such as the eruption of Mount Unzen Fugen in 1991 (Heisei 3) and the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995. After the earthquake, the Disaster Victims Support Law was enacted in 1998 for the purpose of providing public support funds to victims of such large-scale natural disasters, but problems have arisen such as the low amount of living support funds and strict eligibility requirements. In addition, the Fire Service Act, Fire Service Organization Act, Flood Control Act, Act on Disaster Benefits for Persons Who Cooperate and Assist Police Officers in Their Duties, and other laws and regulations prescribe compensation for injuries, illnesses, death, etc. suffered by public service workers. In addition, there are compensation systems based on the Automobile Liability Security Act, Pollution-Related Health Damage Compensation Act, Drug Adverse Reaction Relief and Research Promotion Research Organization Act, etc., in order for the state to recover damages on behalf of the state for various disasters or damages. Furthermore, the Crime Victim Compensation System (Crime Victims Benefits Payment Act), in which the state pays a set amount of benefits to victims or surviving families whose lives or bodies have been harmed by intentional, unintentional crimes such as so-called "random killings," is also a type of disaster compensation system.

[Mikio Yoshida]

Workers' Compensation

When simply referring to accident compensation, it usually means workers' compensation. In modern industries, production is carried out using various machines, power sources, and harmful raw materials, so there is always some kind of danger. And sometimes that danger materializes and causes damage to the life and body of a worker. This is a work-related accident, and the question arises as to who should bear the damage.

As legal remedies for workplace accidents, it is possible to pursue employers for tort liability under the Civil Code (Articles 709, 715, and 717) or liability for breach of contract under the labor contract (Article 415 of the Civil Code; liability for employers failing to fulfill their obligation under the labor contract to consider the safety of workers). However, in order for such liability for damages to be recognized, the worker must prove the employer's intent or negligence in causing the damage, as well as the causal relationship, and taking the case to court would take time, making it inappropriate for protecting workers.

Therefore, based on the principle of protecting workers, the Labor Standards Act allows compensation for death, injury, and illness that occur "in the course of work" without the employer's negligence (Articles 75 to 88). In addition, the amount of compensation is set in a standard manner, and there is no need to calculate or prove the amount of damages. In order to be recognized as "in the course of work," taking into account the legislative intent and purpose of guaranteeing the right to life of workers, it is considered sufficient that there is a relationship between the work and the accident that makes it natural to hold the employer legally liable for compensation. The types of accident compensation stipulated in the Labor Standards Act are medical compensation (Article 75), compensation for absence from work (Article 76), disability compensation (Article 77), compensation for surviving family members (Article 79), funeral expenses (Article 80), termination compensation (Article 81), and installment compensation (Article 82).

However, in the case of accident compensation under the Labor Standards Act, there are cases where employers are unable to pay due to the increase in the scale of accidents for which they are responsible and the increase in the amount of compensation. In order to prepare for such situations, the Workmen's Accident Compensation Insurance System (Workmen's Accident Insurance System) based on the Workmen's Accident Compensation Insurance Act (Workmen's Accident Insurance Act) aims to ensure compensation through insurance. This is a social insurance administered by the government with employers contributing insurance premiums (partially subsidized by the national treasury), and it naturally applies to businesses that employ even one worker. In addition, carpenters, plasterers, and other "one-man bosses" who do not employ workers, and private taxi operators can also join as special members. Furthermore, the Workmen's Accident Insurance Act stipulates, in addition to the benefits under the Labor Standards Act, injury and illness compensation pensions as a pension benefit system, and insurance benefits for traffic accidents and other accidents on the way to work.

When compensation is provided under workers' accident compensation insurance, the employer is exempt from liability for workers' accident compensation under the Labor Standards Act to the extent that compensation is provided (Article 84, Paragraph 1 of the Labor Standards Act). However, since the legally provided amount is a minimum amount, the employer can claim damages under the Civil Code for any damages that are not covered by the minimum amount. It is also possible to determine compensation above the statutory amount through collective bargaining between labor and management in a labor agreement (known as additional compensation).

In addition to the Workers' Accident Compensation Insurance Act, the National Public Servants Accident Compensation Act stipulates workers' accident compensation for national public servants, the Local Public Servants Accident Compensation Act stipulates workers' accident compensation for local public servants, and the Seamen's Act and the Seamen's Insurance Act stipulate workers' accident compensation for seamen.

Since the mid-1970s, the workplace environment has changed rapidly due to advances in production and work technologies, including information devices, and intensifying international economic competition. Long hours and overwork are also becoming more prevalent. Under these circumstances, workers are becoming more fatigued and stressed in the workplace, which in turn leads to brain and heart diseases, resulting in death and severe disability, and even suicide due to overwork. Regarding death and suicide due to overwork, efforts led by surviving families have led to revisions to the certification standards, and especially since the late 1990s, there has been an increase in cases certified as industrial accidents and cases awarded damages through court cases.

[Mikio Yoshida]

"Workers' Accident Compensation Insurance Law" edited by the Labor Standards Bureau, Industrial Accident Management Division, Ministry of Labor (1997, Labor Management Research Institute)" ▽ "All about Industrial Accident Insurance and Safety and Health" edited by Yoshio Hobara, Koichiro Yamaguchi, and Kenichiro Nishimura (1998, Yuhikaku)" ▽ "Suicide from Overwork" by Hiroshi Kawato (1998, Iwanami Shoten)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

広義には各種災害により発生した人的・物的損害を補填(ほてん)することをいい、狭義には労働者（公務員を含む）が業務上（公務上）被った負傷、疾病、障害または死亡などの労働災害に対する当該労働者および家族の救済措置（労災補償）をいう。

［吉田美喜夫］

広義の災害補償

広義の災害補償として現行法上定められているものに、たとえば農業保険法に基づき農業者が風水害その他の不慮の事故により受けた損失を農業保険（農業共済、農業経営収入保険）で補填する農業災害補償や、漁業災害補償法に基づき中小漁業者がその営む漁業につき異常の気象または不慮の事故によって受けることのある損失を共済保険で補填する漁業災害補償などの制度がある。また、地震や豪雨などさまざまな災害に対する応急的な救助を目的として1947年（昭和22）に制定された災害救助法があり、1991年（平成3）の雲仙普賢岳(うんぜんふげんだけ)の噴火や1995年の阪神・淡路(あわじ)大震災など多くの災害に適用されてきた。また同震災後、このような大規模な自然災害の被災者に対する公的な支援金の給付を目的として、1998年に災害被災者支援法が制定されたが、生活支援金の給付金額が低いことや適用要件が厳しいことなどが問題となっている。このほか、消防法、消防組織法、水防法、警察官の職務に協力援助した者の災害給付に関する法律その他の諸法令において、公務協力者の被った傷病、死亡などに対する補償が定められている。これ以外にも各種の災害ないし被害に対し国がかわって損害を回復させるために、自動車損害賠償保障法、公害健康被害補償法、医薬品副作用被害救済・研究振興調査機構法などに基づく補償制度がある。さらに、いわゆる「通り魔殺人」などの故意に基づく不慮の犯罪により生命または身体を害された被害者または遺族に対し、国が一定額の給付金を支給する犯罪被害者補償制度（犯罪被害者等給付金支給法）も一種の災害補償制度である。

［吉田美喜夫］

労災補償

単に災害補償という場合には労災補償を意味するのが普通である。近代的産業においては、各種の機械や動力、有害な原材料などを用いて生産が行われるため、そこにはつねになんらかの危険が存在する。そして、その危険が現実化して労働者の生命・身体が損傷されることがある。これが労働災害であり、この損害をだれが負担するかが問題となる。

　労働災害に対する法的な救済措置としては、使用者に対し民法上の不法行為責任（709条・715条・717条）あるいは労働契約上の債務不履行責任（民法415条。使用者が労働者の安全を配慮するという労働契約上の義務の履行を怠った責任）の追及が可能である。しかし、このような損害賠償責任が認められるためには、損害発生についての使用者の故意・過失や因果関係の証明などを労働者の側でしなければならず、また裁判に訴えるとなると時間もかかり、労働者の保護にとって不適切である。

　そこで、労働基準法は、労働者保護の理念に基づき、「業務上」の死亡、負傷および疾病であれば使用者の過失を要件とせずに補償が受けられるようにした（75条～88条）。また補償額が定型的に定められ、損害額の算定や立証も不要である。そして、「業務上」と認められるためには、労働者の生存権保障という立法の趣旨や目的を考慮に入れると、使用者に補償の法的責任を負わせることが当然だと考えられる程度の関連性が業務と災害の間にあればよいと考えられる。なお労働基準法が定める災害補償の種類は、療養補償（75条）、休業補償（76条）、障害補償（77条）、遺族補償（79条）、葬祭料（80条）、打切補償（81条）、分割補償（82条）である。

　ところで、労働基準法の災害補償においては、責任を負うことになる災害の大規模化と補償額の上昇により、使用者に支払い能力がないような場合がおこる。こうした事態に備えるため、保険方式によって補償の確保を図るのが労働者災害補償保険法（労災保険法）に基づく労働者災害補償保険制度（労災保険制度）である。これは、使用者が保険料を醵出(きょしゅつ)（一部国庫補助）して政府が管掌する社会保険であり、1人でも労働者を使用する事業には当然に適用され、また、労働者を使用しない大工、左官などの「一人親方」や個人タクシー業者なども特別に加入できる。さらに、労災保険法では、労働基準法上の給付のほかに、年金給付制度としての傷病補償年金や、通勤途上での交通事故その他の災害に対する保険給付も規定している。

　労災保険で補償が行われた場合には、その限度で使用者は労働基準法上の労災補償責任を免れる（労働基準法84条1項）。しかし、法律によって給付されるのは最低額であるから、それでカバーされない損害部分については民法に基づき損害賠償を請求できる。また、法定額以上の補償を労使の団体交渉を通じて労働協約で定めることも可能である（上積み補償という）。

　労災保険法以外に、国家公務員については国家公務員災害補償法、地方公務員については地方公務員災害補償法、船員については船員法および船員保険法が労災補償を規定している。

　1970年代のなかば以降、情報機器を含む生産および作業技術の進歩や国際的な経済競争の激化に伴い職場環境が急激に変化している。また、長時間・過密労働も広がっている。このような事情の下で職場における労働者の疲労やストレスが強まり、これが原因となって脳や心臓に疾患を発症させ、死亡および重度障害に至る過労死や、さらには自殺する過労自殺が多発している。このような過労死や過労自殺について、遺族を中心とする運動により認定基準の改正などが進み、とくに1990年代後半以降、労働災害として認定される事例や裁判を通じて損害賠償が認められる事例が増えている。

［吉田美喜夫］

『労働省労働基準局労災管理課編『労働者災害補償保険法』（1997・労務行政研究所）』▽『保原喜志夫・山口浩一郎・西村健一郎編『労災保険・安全衛生のすべて』（1998・有斐閣）』▽『川人博著『過労自殺』（1998・岩波書店）』

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