Motor insurances premiums could continue to climb as the Government has admitted it is powerless to stop increases.

A 12-year-old girl who suffered a laceration to her face while playing laser tag with friends at a Leisureplex has been awarded €35,000 damages in the Circuit Civil Court.

The HSE has confirmed it has stopped charging its employees for a certificate of lost earnings in personal injuries cases.

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today

Awards for common injuries such as minor whiplash rose significantly since 2004, a report shows.

Motorists were advised that the Government had “limited” power to influence the cost of motor insurance premiums as they continue to spiral upwards.

The country’s consumer protection watchdog has not taken any action to investigate the soaring cost of motor insurance despite hard-pressed businesses and consumers facing huge increases over the past 18 months.

Urgent action is needed to tackle spiralling car insurance costs, as the cost of insuring a car has already increased by one-third in the last year.

It has emerged today that Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton has met with the President of the High Court, in a bid to reign in insurance pay-outs.

The number of personal injuries claims submitted to the Injuries Board increased by 6% to 33,561 last year but the number of compensation awards made were down compared to 2014.

Drivers are set to face even higher premiums in the coming months as insurance sector bodies continue to quibble over the cause of the increases. Figures from the CSO last week showed premiums have ballooned by 24.4% in the past year.

The head of the Injuries Board has called on insurance companies to explain double-digit increases in premiums in the wake of figures which show that the number of personal injury claims litigated in court fell last year.

Saturdays in July account for the most accidents in public places which result in personal injury claims.

Watch out! You are more likely to be injured on a Saturday in July.

With motor insurance prices now 16% higher than they were 12 months ago, Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe says he hopes measures to reduce road deaths and injuries will lead to a drop in the premiums being faced by motorists.

A large number of state agencies, including the Equality Authority, have no employees with a disability despite a statutory target that they should account for at least 3% of their workforces.

The Injuries Board has said today - Thursday - is the most likely day of the week for workplace accidents which result in employer liability awards.

Some €24m was awarded to employees injured in workplace accidents last year, with the highest award coming in at more than €400,000.

The Injuries Board said there's been a "cultural revolution" when it comes to injury claims.

The amount of money paid out by the state’s Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB) in the first half of the year increased by €22m to €144m.

Around €44m was awarded following public liability accidents last year.

Business owners are falling down on the job of ensuring their premises are safe — causing customers to suffer a similar fate.

The Personal Injuries Assessment Board was established over a decade ago, but is it fully meeting the needs of all claimants? Two experts debate the board’s merits and effectiveness.

There are still “fundamental flaws” in the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB) system of settling personal injuries complaints, according to a new book.

The State could save up to €80m a year by processing personal injury claims through a non-adversarial channel like the Injuries Board, a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation has heard.

More than €243m was awarded by the Injuries Board last year, almost 12% more than the €218m awarded in 2012.

There is no justification for increases in insurance premiums as accident rates in Ireland remained stable in 2013, the head of the Injuries Board has declared.

Friday was the most dangerous day on Irish roads last year — but Sunday accidents caused more serious injuries.

A woman who fractured her knee when she slipped on new porcelain tiles on her kitchen floor has been awarded more than €71,000 in the High Court against the tile supplier.

Motor insurance premiums will soar by 30% if the Government pushes ahead with increasing award limits of district and circuit courts, according to the Irish Brokers Association (IBA).

Consumers and businesses could be hit with higher insurance premiums if an “emerging claims culture” is not addressed, according to the Injuries Board.

The promotion of a claims culture could result in higher insurance premiums, it was warned today.

Thalidomide survivors have begun a legal battle against the State.

A 15-year-old student, who is already registered with a national modelling agency, has been awarded €25,000 damages for a “mildly disfiguring” scar on her foot.

Compensation of €210m was paid out to almost 10,000 people seeking payments for personal injury claims last year.

New statistics show that August is the most dangerous month of the year when it comes to children injuring themselves when playing outdoors.

THERE has been a €30m reduction in personal injury claims to insurance companies since 2008, according to new figures from the Injuries Board.

Lower insurance premiums could be on the way for consumers due to providers paying out less money, a report suggested today.

Compensation claims hit insurers for €200m last year, it was revealed today.

TWICE as many women as men have successfully sued for injuries suffered in a public place, figures reveal.