Plaintiff claim costs ‘twice that of defence’

EXPENSES submitted by solicitors on behalf of clients making compensation claims can be more than double those of the defence, an Oireachtas committee heard yesterday.

The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise and Small Business also heard that costs and expenses claimed by expert witnesses were often two and a half times greater than those submitted on behalf of the company or individual being sued.

Where a claim is settled for 50,000 or more, the defendant typically pays costs at a rate of 47 cent per euro in compensation, according to Avis, one of the country's largest car rental firms.