Value of motor liability awards made through Injuries Resolution Board down by more than 40% 

Report examined more than 76,000 claims following road traffic collisions between 2019 to 2024

Last year, €105.8m was awarded in compensation compared to the €178.85m paid out in 2019. 

The total value of motor liability compensation awards made through the Injuries Resolutions Board (IRB) declined by more than 40% over the last five years following the introduction of the injuries guidelines in April 2021, a new report shows.

The report, prepared by the IRB with EY Economic Advisory, examined more than 76,000 claims following road traffic collisions between 2019 to 2024. In that time, the IRB made over 37,000 assessments of compensation, of which 17,000 were accepted and did not proceed to litigation.

About €701m in compensation was awarded through these claims. The report estimated savings on legal fees for accepted motor liability awards during this period was over €284m.

Last year, €105.8m was awarded in compensation compared to the €178.85m paid out in 2019. 

According to the IRB, the average time taken to settle a case through litigation is 5.1 years, with costs averaging out at just under €19,000. This is compared to the 2.7 years through the IRB and costs of just over €2,000.

The personal injury guidelines were introduced in 2021 to replace the Book of Quantum as the basis for assessment in personal injury cases in an attempt to ensure greater consistency in personal injury awards.

Head of research at the Injuries Resolutions Board Dr Lauren Swan said they had clear reasons as to why people chose to take the litigation route, but generally the claims that do were of a lower value.

“So a claimant is more likely to not accept an award where the value of compensation is less than €5,000 or less than €10,000, so they're the cases that are more likely to go on to litigation,” she said.

"They're also the cases that were most significantly impacted by the change under the guidelines.” 

In 2024, there were 12,042 claims submitted to the IRB — a slight increase from the 11,587 submitted in 2023 but 30% decline to 2019.

Excluding fatalities, the average motor liability award last year was €17,333, an increase of 9% compared to 2023. The median award value stood at €12,510 in 2024, representing a 17% increase.

The report noted that since 2022, the proportion of awards made for minor injuries had fallen from 86% to 81%, while awards made for moderate to severe injuries had increased from 14% to 20%.