New powers for personal injury assessment body

Significant new powers have been given to the State body overseeing serious personal injury compensation claims in a bid to reduce the rising costs of insurance cover and the combative legal nature of the pay-out cases.

Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald announced the move yesterday as part of a series of changes to the laws governing the State’s Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB) scheme, after a lengthy review by Oireachtas officials.

While a large number of cases are resolved under the existing PIAB scheme, the significant costs involved in insurance cases and the fact that many of the claims lead to legal stand-offs with companies and insurance firms have led to questions over whether it is working properly for the public.