The Injuries Board made 10,656 personal injury awards in 2013, an increase of 5.1pc compared to 2012.
According to its annual review, the total value of these awards was €243.5m, an increase of 11.7pc on the €218m awarded in 2012.
As the number of accidents remains unchanged, this increase is attributed to a higher proportion of claims being processed through the Injuries Board’s lower cost, non-adversarial process and also the delivery of a number of exceptionally high value awards by the board.
The number of new claims received by the board in 2013 – a useful barometer of future award volumes – increased by 5.8pc last year, driven by an 8.2pc increase in motor claims, which are typically of lower value.
The board assesses personal injury claims and makes awards relating to motor, employer and public liability accidents, without the need for litigation.
It said that today’s review shows that its non-adversarial model has delivered direct savings of over €72m in 2013, relative to the prior litigation model.
Updated litigation cost data indicates total cumulative savings (direct and indirect) since the board’s establishment in 2004 are approximately €1bn.
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