Accident Claims & Personal Injury Lawyers Scotland Blog

InjuriesBoard.ie has published its review of 2011, which shows that compensation totalling €210 million was awarded in 2011 in respect of 9,833 personal injury claims. The average award in the period was €21,339. During the year the Board made an award of €829,444, its highest to date.

Award values via the Injuries Board remained consistent with awards through the Courts. The average award in 2011 was €21,339, down 3.8% on 2010. This reduction is largely due to a reduction in the proportion of work related claims – typically of higher value – and reduced loss of earnings, given lower salaries across the economy.

The total value of awards in the period increased by 23% but this was largely driven by an increase in the number of awards assessed in the period. Underlying claims volumes remained stable, increasing by 3% in the period and suggesting that the often mooted increase in claims during recessionary times has not occurred.

Over three quarters of awards (76.5%) were for injuries from road traffic accidents, while the remainder were split between workplace (8.4%) and public place (15.1%) accidents.

The Government has announced an overhaul of victims’ services that will see up to £50 million generated from offenders to help create a speedier, more supportive system for victims of serious crime.

Under the new proposals set out by the Justice Secretary, Kenneth Clarke, criminals will be forced to fund victims' support services and those with unspent convictions could be banned from claiming compensation.

The proposals have now been put out to public consultation, which will run until 22nd April 2012. The proposed reforms include: