If you have suffered injuries in an accident that was not your fault you may be entitled to bring a compensation claim*. 

A personal injury like a broken ankle or sprained wrist could have you off work, unable to drive and even care for the family in some cases. A personal injury claim* looks for compensation to cover your extra costs due to an accident that was not your fault. 

When making a personal injury claim*, you need an experienced hand on your shoulder. You will need someone to guide you through the process, with the experience to advise you along every step of what can be a complex legal process. 

PBN Solicitors have the expertise, and that vital experience in personal injury claims* to be with you throughout the process to get you the compensation you deserve.

Table of Content

What is a personal injury claim*?

A personal injury claim* is the legal process you follow in order to get compensation when injured in an accident that was not your fault. 

If a third party is negligent in their duty of care and you suffer an accident or injury, you could have a personal injury claim*.

PBN solicitors work with you to get the compensation you deserve.

We pride ourselves in taking the stress out of personal injury litigation by providing a service dedicated to the client.

What are the types of personal injury claims* in Ireland?

In Ireland, you can claim* personal injury for workplace injury, road traffic accidents, medical negligence, and many other types of personal injury. 

A personal injury may affect you for months, years and even for life in some cases. You make a personal injury claim* against those responsible for the cost of the effects today and in the future. 

There are many types of personal injury claims* in Ireland:

Workplace injury

A workplace injury is one in which you get injured through your job. It can be on the factory floor, in the office, in a shop or when working offsite for the company.

Your employer owes you a duty of care when you are at work. They must provide you with a safe working environment.

In addition to the health and safety legislation in existence In Ireland, there is also a common law duty on employers to take reasonable care for their employees’ safety.

An employer’s duty of care comes under four main headings, an employer is obliged to provide his workforce with:

  • competent co-workers;
  • a safe place of work;
  • a safe system of work
  • proper equipment which is fit for purpose;

We at PBN Litigation when acting for an injured employee take steps to ensure that they we secure as much evidence as possible before proceeding with their claim* by way of;

1) Immediate Data Access Requests on behalf of the client for CCTV Footage , Accident Report Forms and Personnel file

2) Applications to the High Court pursuant to Section 12 of the PRB Act 2003 seeking immediate orders to grant access to a locus of the accident and preserve the locus pending expert review.

3) Reporting accident to Health and Safety Authority if employee is out of work for more than 3 days , thus forcing the Health and Safety Authority to carry out an investigation into the case.

Workplace personal injuries seen in Ireland:

  • Building site accidents
  • Office building accidents
  • Farmyard injuries
  • Falling from a height at work
  • Manual handling injuries
  • Repetitive strain injuries
  • Hand Arm Vibration syndrome
  • Industrial deafness
  • Asbestos-related disease
  • Assault by a fellow worker
  • Bullying and intimidation
  • Faulty machinery accidents
  • Lack of Personal Protective Equipment

Road Traffic Accidents

Road Traffic Accidents, RTA, see many personal injury claims* annually in Ireland. If you suffer an injury as a driver, passenger, a pedestrian or when on a bike or motorbike and the accident was not your fault, you could have an RTA injury claim*. 

Some of the road traffic accident personal injury claims* seen in Ireland:

  • Injury when a passenger on public transport
  • Injury when a passenger in a taxi
  • Injury when a passenger in the family car
  • Injury when driving a car
  • Injury when driving a bus or taxi
  • Injury when knocked off a bike or motorbike
  • Injury when crossing the road
  • Injury when on the footpath
  • Injury due to potholes or poorly maintained roads
  • Hit and Run accidents
  • Impact injury when the car is hit from behind, whiplash

A road traffic accident injury may be caused by the negligent actions of another road user, and you can claim* compensation for the effects on your life. 

Public place accidents

Public place accidents are also known as public liability claims* or public liability actions. 

When you access a place open to the public, the property owner has a duty of care for you to ensure there is no risk of personal injury. If they breach that duty of care resulting in you being injured, you may have a public liability injury claim*.

Common public place accident injury claims* are:

  • Slips, trips, and falls in the supermarket
  • Runner tripping on broken pavement slabs
  • Accident when walking in the carpark
  • Food poisoning at the local restaurant or takeaway
  • Lacerations from broken glass in the pub
  • Assault at the nightclub or bar
  • Injury from goods falling from a height

A public liability claim* can get you the compensation you deserve if you are injured in an accident that was not your fault.

Schoolyard injury

Schoolyard injury often happens in Ireland due to teacher shortages and inadequate break-time supervision. You trust your child to the care of the school, nursery, or local playschool and do not expect them to be injured. 

If the school breaches the duty of care to your child, you may claim* for any personal injury on behalf of your injured child. 

Personal injury claims* for a schoolyard injury can be:

  • Child’s fingers caught in a closing gate
  • Slips on wet bathroom floors causing injury
  • A fall on the uneven playground surface
  • Injury from a fall off playground equipment
  • Injury from faulty equipment in the school gym
  • Injury from faulty toys in the nursery school
  • Inadequate supervision resulting in injury
  • A child injured while on a school outing
  • Assault on the school grounds

A personal injury solicitor can handle your claim* against the school if your child is injured due to a breach of duty of care by the school authorities or owners.

Sports injuries

Sports injuries happen every day wherever sport is played. If the sports injury occurs due to a negligent party’s lack of duty of care, you may have a personal injury claim*. 

Sports injuries personal injury claims* in Ireland can be:

  • Faulty gym equipment causes torn muscles
  • Player being injured in rugby training due to inadequate coaching
  • Injury due to a dangerous tackle in a soccer match
  • Fall from a horse at the riding stables
  • Competitors being injured due to poorly maintained sports pitches
  • Slips, trips and falls in the changing rooms
  • Assault by a coach or member of the sports club
  • Eye injury from golf ball
  • Injury as a spectator at a sports event

Sports injuries due to negligence can happen very easily. You may have a personal injury claim* for compensation if you are injured in a sports-related accident.

PBN solicitors have the experience to take your personal injury claim* and steer it through the ins and outs of making a personal injury claim* in Ireland.

Contact PBN solicitors today for all your personal injury compensation needs.

A solicitor’s role in a personal injury case

A solicitor’s role in a personal injury case is to advise you if you have a valid claim* and guide you to a successful case against the negligent party. Your personal injury solicitor is used to and trained for litigation and can be a powerful advocate when needed. 

A personal injury can happen quickly and often where you least expect it. You can slip on the footpath in the local town park or be hit by a car that fails to stop at a junction.   

You could suffer both the emotional and financial effects today and in the future, and a solicitor’s role is to figure out what these effects are worth in financial terms. 

Medical costs soon add up when you suffer a personal injury. The costs of medical care in Ireland are high, and you may also need to adapt your home and car and even require full-time care. 

You should not have to carry these costs if you were not wholly at fault for the accident. 

Children injured in a personal injury accident may need care and constant medical treatment for the rest of their lives. Parents need peace of mind that their child will be well looked after throughout their lives and should claim* for these costs. 

The experience and expertise of a solicitor comes into every personal injury case. 

Knowing how compensation works, how to identify and claim* against those responsible, and navigating through complex litigation are all part of the solicitor’s role when handling your personal injury case.

Injuries Resolution Board

The Injuries Resolution Board, was introduced by the government to simplify and standardise personal injury claims* in Ireland. The Injuries Resolution Board works with you, the injured party and with the negligent party to get you the compensation you may deserve.

A personal injury solicitor can be your representative with the Injuries Resolution Board. The personal injury solicitor will have the experience of working with the Injuries Resolution Board and can advise you on every aspect, from filling out forms to knowing what your claim* is worth.

All personal injury claims*, except medical negligence claims*, must go through the Injuries Resolution Board. The IRB will then work with all sides to come to a resolution to your personal injury claim*.

If the negligent party refuses to accept your claim*, or you are unhappy with the compensation offered, the Injuries Resolution Board may issue an Authorisation granting you permission to issue Court proceedings.

Your personal injury solicitor will be ready to take legal action and be your representative when in court.

PBN solicitors can handle your Injuries Resolution Board claim* and, if necessary take the further action of going to the courts for your personal injury compensation claim*.

Compensation for personal injury in Ireland

In your personal injury case, you claim* for two types of damages:

General Damages are the claim* you make for compensation for the pain and suffering you experience due to the personal injury. 

You can claim* General Damages for the pain from a broken leg after a fall down the faulty shopping centre escalator or the unnecessary suffering when your car is hit from behind at the traffic lights. 

General Damages may be claimed* in any personal injury case where the injuries cause pain and inconvenience and affect your ability to exercise, drive, play sports and other activities.

Special Damages are when you claim* for the financial effects on your life due to the personal injury, such as loss of income to the home when you cannot work after a fall at the supermarket. 

With Special Damages you claim* for: 

  • The loss of earnings
  • Care costs today and in the future
  • Out-of-pocket expenses such as travel, medical appointments, further treatment 

Special Damages for the financial effects of a loss of income when recovering from a slip, trip and fall accident or if you can only take lesser-paid employment in the future 

You claim* Special Damages to offset the financial costs of the personal injury, so you will not be out of pocket due to the actions of others. 

If your child suffers a personal injury, you can claim* on their behalf for the cost of personal care for life, adaptations to the home and for ongoing medical treatments and therapy. 

Each personal injury claim* is different from another one. The financial effects may be heavier on you than on someone in a similar situation. You may claim* for what is needed to maintain a similar quality of life as before the personal injury. 

Personal injury claims* differ, and your personal injury solicitor can guide you on what to expect in compensation and how to make your claim*.

In your personal injury claim*, the solicitor can advise you on how the two types of damages are relevant to your claim* for compensation.

How to make a claim* for personal injury compensation

There are a few steps to follow when you make a claim* for personal injury compensation in Ireland. 

Making a personal injury claim* may seem daunting, but with the help of a personal injury solicitor, you can navigate your way through what can be a difficult process. 

The steps to follow when making a personal injury claim* in Ireland are: 

The Team at PBN Litigation can advise on your case.With our no obligation consultation we can meet with you, in confidence and advise you on the strengths of your case. 

We will request an initial medical report from your Doctor to outline the injuries you have sustained.  Updated reports with a final prognosis from your doctors will be taken up before your case is settled. 

We will investigate your case by taking witnesses statement or by making Data Access requests for CCTV footage / personnel files.

On receipt of your medical report from your Doctor, we will submit the claim* to Injuries Resolution Board.

The negligent party and their insurers will be contacted by IRB. The negligent party has 90 days to confirm to IRB as to whether they will consent to the IRB assessing the case or decline to permit IRB to assess the case.

If they agree to permit the board to assess the case, IRB has 9 months to do so. IRB can also extend this period if they wish to do so by a number of months.

Within the 9 month period you will be sent for an independent assessment by an independent injuries board doctor.

The PIAB will issue a Letter of Assessment to you and to the negligent party. In the letter, they will outline what compensation is due to you for the personal injury. 

If you and the negligent party agree to the Letter of Assessment, the PIAB issues an Order to Pay where the negligent party must pay the compensation payment to you by a specific date. 

Unfortunately, you may need to go to court if the negligent party denies responsibility for the personal injury or the two sides cannot agree on an acceptable level of compensation.

Going to court may be the final step in resolving your personal injury case. Your solicitor will take over the running of your case from the PIAB. 

Your solicitor will issue the court proceedings and advise you along every step of what can be a difficult process for the family. 

Court proceedings can be protracted, and you will need experience and expertise on your side when in the courtroom. 

In some cases, a claim* is settled on the steps of the court when the negligent party meets the person who suffered the personal injury.

What are the time limits for making a personal injury claim* in Ireland?

There is a two-year time limit for personal injury claims* in Ireland. You should start the process of engaging a solicitor and by applying to the Injuries Resolution Board before the two-year limit is reached.

Parents can make a personal injury claim* on behalf of a child at any time until they reach 18 years of age.

Once a child turns 18, they have a two-year time limit to start a personal injury claim* from the date they realise what happened to them.

Start your personal injury claim* today

Start your personal injury claim* today by contacting PBN solicitors.

If you have suffered from a road traffic accident or a slip, trip, or fall at work, then PBN solicitors have the experience and expertise to manage your compensation claim*.

You, the client, are the one injured and in recovery. The last thing you should have to worry about is dealing with the Injuries Resolution Board or the courts when recovering from a personal injury.

PBN solicitors can take on your case and work with you to get the compensation you deserve.

We pride ourselves in taking the stress out of personal injury litigation by providing a service dedicated to the client.

Contact PBN solicitors today for all your personal injury compensation needs.