Compensation rules uncertain

Victims of the Boston Marathon bombings will eventually win some kind of compensation, but it is far too early to know how much money there will be, whether private donors or insurers will provide most of it, and how long it might take to distribute.

State and city officials have established One Fund Boston, designed as a central source of compensation for victims. John Hancock, a Boston-based insurer, contributed $1m (€770,000) in seed money. Boston law firm Goodwin Procter will run it.

What happens next will depend in part on whether individual victims choose to hire lawyers to press their own claims. Experts say victims have an easier path if they settle with a central relief fund, rather than pursue lawsuits against governments, race sponsors or perpetrators.