signal event

signal event

Public health An event, usually man-made, in which there is a tremendous 'signal,' often in the form of a 'disaster,' eg Love Canal or the Libby Zion case, which engenders multiple 'ripple' effects of legislation and 'landmark' legal cases, due in part to a popular outcry against prevailing policies that were inadequate or incapable of addressing the event. See Libby Zion, Love canal, Sentinel event.