Compo awards 'hit by euro changeover'

COMPENSATION awards by judges for personal injury claims have dropped by more than a quarter as a result of the euro changeover, barristers' representatives claimed yesterday.

It was also claimed that as a result of Justice Minister Michael McDowell's new laws, people with serious injuries sustained in accidents will have to worry about getting solicitors and lodging their compensation claims while they are still in the early stages of recovery.

Bar Council chairman Conor Maguire said judges were awarding similar figures as three years ago for personal injuries but had not adjusted the amounts in line with the euro changeover. The reduction in awards paid out had not been matched by lower insurance premiums, he said. "The numbers have stayed the same but the damages have gone down by 27%," he said.