Injuries Board

Since the coming into force of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Act 2003, Personal Injury Claims, with some exceptions, must be assessed by the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB), before any Court Proceedings can be issued. Once we have obtained the necessary medical reports, we will present your case to PIAB on your behalf.

PIAB will then notify the other side, or more usually their Insurers, of the application. The other side has the option of consenting to the PIAB Assessment Procedure, or of declining. If they decline, then PIAB take no further part, and we will then issue Court Proceedings for compensation for your injuries, loss, damage and expense. If the other side consent to the PIAB Assessment, then PIAB will consider the medical reports furnished by both sides, and possible (any independent reports commissioned, and it will produce a valuation of the claim, usually within 9 15 months.

There is no oral hearing. If you are willing to accept the PIAB Assessment and provided the other side are willing to pay it, then this is the end of the matter. However if either you or the other side does not accept the Assessment, then the claim will proceed under the former system of Court Litigation.

It should be noted that PIAB does not award any costs, so your Legal Fees must come out of the figure assessed by PIAB. The foregoing is a very brief synopsis of the workings of PIAB and needless to say, there are all sorts of diverse situations which can and do arise, and we will of course fully advise you in relation to your particular circumstance.