Information on the Injuries Boards
The Injuries Board is a statutory body which provides independent assessment of personal injury compensation for victims of Motor, Workplace and Public Liability accidents.
This assessment is provided without the need for the majority of current litigation costs, such as Solicitors, Barristers and Experts' fees that add more than 46% on average to the cost of a claim. In exceptional cases legal or expert fees may apply and they will examine each case on its own merits.
The other benefit of the Injuries board is that they will reduce the amount of time it takes to finalise a compensation claim. Under the court system it can take approximately three years to settle a claim, however in comparison it generally takes nine months to settle a personal injury claim via the Injuries Board.
If you have suffered personal injury and intend to seek compensation from a negligent third party the following information will help explain the process in pursuing your claim through the Injuries board.
How the Claim Process works
- As soon as possible following an accident you should contact the person or entity against whom a claim is being made (otherwise known as the respondent) of your intention to make a claim.
- It is advisable to notify the Respondent, in writing, within two months of the accident.
- To make a personal injuries claim you then need to submit an application to the InjuriesBoard.ie either online or via post together with a medical assessment form completed by your doctor and payment in the sum of €50 made payable to Injuriesboard.ie.
- The Injuries Board will then send a formal notice of the claim to the person you hold responsible for your injury (the Respondent) of your intention to make a claim against them.
- The Respondent will be provided with a copy of your application Form and also a copy of your medical report where applicable.
- The Respondent has 90 days to confirm whether or not they consent to the assessment of your claim. If they receive consent from the Respondent they will then proceed with the assessment of your claim.
- If the Respondent does not consent to the assessment of your claim they will issue authorisation permitting you to pursue your claim through the Court system if you so wish.
- Assuming the respondent consents to an Injuries Board assessment the Injuries Board will then arrange for you to have an Independent Medical Examination and request details of any out of pocket expenses you may have incurred.
- An assessment is then made and both yourself and the respondent are notified of the level of compensation being awarded.
- Both parties must then accept the assessment and the Injuries Board will then issue an order for the respondent to pay you.
Compensation Levels
An Injuries Board compensation assessment is made on the same basis and principles as damages measured by the Courts.
They base the level of compensation being awarded on the medical report submitted by your own doctor and also the report of the independent medical examiner arranged by the Injuries Board where applicable.
They will also assess compensation levels based on the Book of Quantum which is an aid in the assessment of compensation levels for pain and suffering in respect of specified types of injury.
Additional compensation amounts will also be taken into account for things such as Medical expenses, loss of earnings and out of pocket expenses.
The Injuries Board website also provides an interactive guide called the "Estimator", which will provide you with a guide to the General Damages you may receive for injuries to certain parts of the body eg Neck Injuries - Up to €14,400 for whiplash type claims.