With the ongoing constraints caused by Covid-19, practitioners are likely to experience difficulty in obtaining medical reports from treating doctors. Practitioners are reminded that a claim can be made to PIAB in the absence of a Medical Report (Form B), which will stop the statutory limitation period running under Rule 3(3) Personal Injuries Assessment Board Rules, 2019.

An application without a medical report can be made by post. However, the Solicitor Portal did not allow for such applications. Following representations made by the Law Society, PIAB has agreed to facilitate the making of online applications without a treating doctor’s medical report.

The Solicitor Portal

PIAB has directed that when submitting a claim without a medical report through the Solicitor Portal, one should “click the “yes” option when asked if you have a medical report and then upload a letter in lieu of the medical report confirming that a medical report has been commissioned and will be forwarded to PIAB on receipt.”

New online form

PIAB has also introduced a new online form which can be used by practitioners who are not registered to use the Solicitor Portal.  This form has been introduced to facilitate an application for the purposes of the Statute of Limitations where the applicant is not in a position to submit a medical report.

• View the new online form for non-registered solicitors

PIAB advise that these are interim arrangements and PIAB will revert to the normal operating procedures for the Portal when the current difficulties pass.