The Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB) has launched a new mediation service, as well as announcing a change of name.

The organisation will now be known as the Injuries Resolution Board.

Its expansion into mediation will begin with employer-liability claims, meaning that claimants and respondents can now opt for mediation as a way of settling claims arising from workplace accidents.

The board says that mediation will be rolled out to all other categories of claims – including public liability and motor – over the course of 2024.

Mediation ‘voluntary’

It says that mediation will be a voluntary and confidential service, and will be mostly telephone-based.

“Where an agreement is reached, an order will be issued by the Injuries Resolution Board, which will be legally binding and have the same standing as a court order,” the board states.

Today’s announcement (14 December) follows the commencement of the final phase of the Personal Injuries Resolution Board Act 2022 by Dara Calleary (Minister with responsibility for the Injuries Resolution Board, pictured, second left).

Claims down 38%

The board has also published an analysis of employer-liability claims and awards from 2019 to 2022.

The report shows a 38% reduction in claims in this area since 2019, with the most significant decrease (63%) in cafés, hotels and restaurants. Therre was also a 46% decrease in claims involving shops and stores.

Awards in the sector in the period amounted to €86 million.

The five most common causes of accidents accounted for 75% of compensation value, with slips, trips and falls accounting for nearly €20 million.

The average award in 2022 was €22,545 – down 26% from €30,576 in 2020.

The average award of general damages in 2022 was €16,788 – a 38% drop compared with €27,051 in 2020.