In the theory of public enforcement of law the choice of the liability rules is between strict liability and fault …-based liability. In this paper, we study the determinants of compliance when in addition to standard economic incentives wrongdoers …

reputational concerns are not strong enough, however, for injurers to willingly compensate their victims. Absent legal liability … enforced legal liability crowds out informal incentives completely (e.g., individuals causing harm suffer no stigma) but … precautions are then socially efficient. Under imperfectly enforced legal liability, formal legal sanctions and normative concerns …