The amount paid out by the Injuries Board increased by 15 per cent last year from €243.5 million to €281 million. The number of awards was up by 16 per cent, from 10,656 to 12,420.
However, the volume of notifications remains stable. In 2014 the board received 31,576 new notifications, a marginal 1 per cent increase on 2013 (31,311) and a slowing down of the 6 per cent increase recorded in the previous year.
The board must be notified if a person feels they might want to make a claim. It is then up to the insurance company to decide if it wishes to settle the case, refer it to the Injuries Board or go to litigation through the courts.
The average award in 2014 was €22,642, a slight decrease on the average award of €22,847 in 2013.
The largest award recorded in 2014 was €972,898 and related to an employer liability claim.
