Payout of order; Report reveals huge costs of injury claims.

Byline: AILBHE DALY

PAYOUTS for personal injuries here are 4.4 times higher than in the UK, new figures have claimed.

The report sent a series of recommendations to Minister Heather Humphreys to tackle the high insurance costs.

Personal injury claims are most often from motor, work or public place accidents as well as medical negligence incidents.

Ireland has a fault-based system, meaning the victim of the accident by other people's negligence is entitled to compensation from the guilty party.

The report, carried out by the Government's Personal Injuries Commission, revealed Ireland has a very high frequency of whiplash. It is estimated 80% of motor personal injury claims currently reported are related to the neck injury.

When compared to the UK, the whiplash claims are on average three times higher.

The report concludes softtissue injuries account for a large proportion of claims in Ireland.

The PIC report was led by former president of the High Court Nicholas Kearns. Meanwhile, the results of a questionnaire by AA Roadwatch found of 5,000 Irish motorists, the majority believe personal injury awards are too high.

More than half of respondents (57.9%) strongly agree whiplash injury payouts were unjustly expensive and a further 21% said compensation for the injury should be lower.

Director of consumer affairs for AA Ireland Conor Faughnan said: "Ultimately we need to reduce the incentive for taking personal injury cases to court.

"The best way to achieve this is by ensuring consistency between personal injury awards which are offered by the Personal Injuries Board and those offered by the courts."

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CAPTION(S):

PAIN IN THE NECK Claims for car accidents