Posted online: Feb 17th, 2010

By Michael McHugh, Editor

Over €11m has been handed out in compensation to Donegal claimants over the past two years for personal injuries sustained as a result of motor accidents or personal injuries.
Total compensation last year of €5.17m was awarded to 223 claimants in Donegal, according to the latest statistics supplied by the Personal Injuries Board, Injuriesboard.ie
The number of recipients is just slightly down on the 2008 figure, but the amount of compensation the previous year was actually higher – at €6.12m.
Compensation totalling €200m was awarded in respect of 8,645 personal injury claimants in 2009 according to preliminary year-end data from InjuriesBoard.ie.
Since 2004, all personal injury claims in Ireland (excluding medical negligence) must be processed through InjuriesBoard.ie. Claimants can apply directly to the Board, either online or by post.
On a national level in 2009, InjuriesBoard.ie processed 25,919 personal injury claims; made 8,645 awards; processed claims in an average of less than seven months, at an administration cost of less than 8% of the compensation amount; assessed total compensation for accident victims of €200 million.
Nationally, the average award of €23,163 in 2009 was 6% lower than in 2008, but 5% up on the 2007 average.
Nearly three quarters of awards (72%) were for injuries from road traffic accidents while the remainder were split between workplace (11%) and public place (17%) accidents. The average workplace award was €32,000 in 2009, almost 48% higher than motor awards which averaged €21,800.