Because someone had to decide how much a loss, and therefore a life, is worth: that’s the daily lot of the courts. It’s fairly easy to work out what losing a house, a car or even a job is worth. But what is the loss of a husband, or an arm, worth?

Well, there are damages scales. In 2006 came the Dintilhac scale, the grid French courts use to classify personal injury losses, taken from a report by the judge of the same name and meant to bring a bit of consistency. In 2020, it was updated to reflect case law, and now bears the name of Benoît Mornet, the new rapporteur.²⁹

For a child, a parent’s life is worth:

• €25,000 to €35,000 if the child is a minor;
• +45% to 60% if they are orphaned;
• €15,000 to €25,000 if they are an adult living with their parents;
• €11,000 to €15,000 if they had left home.

The other way round:

• €20,000 to €33,000 for a child living with their parents;
• €15,000 to €25,000 otherwise.

For siblings, count on between €9,000 and €14,000, the same amount as grandparents get for a grandchild. And the same the other way round, for a grandchild who loses a grandparent. But it’s less if regular visits can’t be proven.

The scale covers everything that can impair a life without ending it. A disability, for instance.

Example: a 25-year-old victim with a 30% permanent impairment has a loss estimated at 30 x €3,465 = €103,950.