THE NUMBER OF personal injury claims submitted to the Injuries Resolution Board (IRB) last year rose by 1% to 20,318 – but remained below pre-pandemic levels.

Insurance reform campaigners have said that the figures indicate that there is no justification for increases in premiums for motor, home, and business insurance.

The IRB, which handles all personal injury claims that are neither litigated nor settled, reported that personal injury claims are still 35% lower than 2019.

Despite high employment levels and a return to pre-pandemic traffic volumes, findings from the report show a significant reduction in claims compared to 2019.

Claims for accidents in workplaces, businesses and public spaces fell by 40%, while motor claims decreased by 30%.

There was a 5% reduction in workplace injury claims last year, compared to 2023, while claims for accidents in businesses and public spaces remained unchanged from 2023. 

The median award paid to claimants decreased by 29% over the last five years, falling from €18,422 in 2020 to €13,000 in 2024. The average award value decreased by 21% over the same period to €18,967.

The number of assessments being accepted by both claimants and respondents reached 50% in 2024, up from 48% in 2023 and 44% in 2022, meaning more cases are being resolved through the IRB rather than proceeding through legal action.

Brian Hanley from the Alliance for Insurance Reform, a group advocating against high premiums, stated that the continuous decline in claim volumes over recent years “makes the ongoing increase in insurance premiums impossible to justify”.

Hanley added that the government needs to safeguard the IRB as “the fairest and fastest means of settling claims”.

He explained that the Government’s proposed 17% increase in personal injury awards, along with the related three-year review period of the Judicial Guidelines, could push more cases out of the Injuries Board and into expensive litigation.

“Increased awards will also mean increased premiums and Ireland already pays considerably higher awards than most other countries,” Hanley said.

“Motorists, businesses, sports, community and voluntary organisations simply cannot afford for this to happen.”