The annual report of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB) shows that it awarded €141 million in claims last year – the lowest figure of the last 16 years.

The report shows that 18,453 claim applications were made in 2022 – a 14% decrease on the previous year and a 41% decrease on claim volumes compared to pre-pandemic 2019 levels.

Chief Executive Rosalind Carroll said that much of the decline could be attributed to the pandemic, but she added that some of the changes might reflect “broader societal and workplace changes”.

2022 was also the first full year of PIAB using the Personal Injuries Guidelines, and average awards were down 34% compared with those made under the previous Book of Quantum.

Special damages

“It is important to be aware that it will take some time to see the full value of the guidelines,” said Carroll. The PIAB report said that it was starting to see fewer claims for “very minor” injuries, as a result of the guidelines.

The average award in 2022 was €15,857, compared with €24,026 in 2020 – a drop of 34%.

This figure for general damages, which are affected by the new guidelines, fell by 41% compared with 2020.

Special damages, which include loss of earnings or other out-of-pocket expenses, increased by 14%. PIAB attributed this rise to inflation, and because fewer claims for very minor injuries were being made.

Acceptance rate up

The acceptance rate for awards made by PIAB rose to 48% in November 2022 from 39% in December 2021.

A breakdown showed that claims applications for motor insurance were down 11% compared with 2021. There were falls of 20% and 13% for public liability and employers’ liability, respectively.

Motor insurance accounted for 65% of awards in 2022 – down from 69% in 2021.

Average awards in each sector were:

• Motor €13,975 (down 22% from 2021),
• Public liability €16,833 (down 19%), and
• Employers’ liability €22,989 (down 11%).