The Injuries Board (formerly
known as the Personal Injuries Assessment Board)recently published its Annual
Review 2013.
By law, personal injury claims must go to the Injuries Board
for assessment, regardless of whether the claimant has legal representation or
not. There are only a few exceptions.
The board makes awards relating to motor, employer and public
liability accidents without the need for litigation.
The highlights of the Annual Review are as
follows:-
·
Limerick had the largest number of
claims (on a per capita basis)
·
10,656 awards were made totalling
€243.5 million
·
the highest award made was €1.39m
·
average award was €22,847
·
motor liability claims accounted for
75% of claims (an increase of over 8%)
The average
injury award for motor accidents was €21,730, for employer's liability €28,886
and public liability €25,120.
Of particular
interest is that over one third of claimants still continue to reject the
awards suggested by the Injuries Board at the end of the process preferring
instead to seek higher awards through issuing court proceedings.
The Injuries Board
also does not provide for legal costs (savein very limited circumstances) which
means if a claimant is to engage a solicitor to protect his/her interest and
progress the claim, the solicitors costs will need to be deducted from any
Injuries Board award.
It is therefore
unsurprising that a large proportion of claimants opt to pursue the matter
through the courts where legal costs may be recovered separate to any award of
damages. It is not unusual for a claimant to achieve 30-50% more in terms
of compensation achieved in an out of court settlement after the
Injuries Board process has concluded.
Moloney &
Associates, Solicitors, offer a comprehensive personal injuries advice service,
assisting our clients in making applications to the Injuries Board and offering
advice on the merits and value of claims.
If you would like
to discuss a possible claim, be it motor vehicle, a workplace accident or
apublic liability claim then please contact us for a no obligation consultation
at our offices here in Limerick City.
Explore more about Limerick Solicitors
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