Whether at work or outside work, everyone is prone to injuries. If you get injured and feel that you should be compensated, you can file a claim with the Personal Injury Assessment Board (PIAB). In simple terms, PIAB is an independent government body that assesses compensation for personal injuries in a cost-efficient and timely manner in Ireland.
The law in Ireland requires that all personal injury claims in the country, except those related to medical negligence, be submitted to the PIAB. The body assesses compensation claims submitted by individuals who get injured in accidents in public spaces, workplaces, and motor vehicles.
PIAB handles all personal injury claims except those that are settled between claimants and respondents. The board does not assess injuries that arise due to medical negligence. Even so, PIAB offers victims of personal injury a more cost-effective and speedy claim settlement than litigation. Read this full article to learn more about how PIAB works.
If you plan to file a personal injury claim through PIAB, here’s how to go about it:
- Claim Application Form
If you suffer from a personal injury and decide to pursue a compensation claim through PIAB, you should first complete a claim application form. There are various ways to do this. You can complete and submit the form online or by email.
Alternatively, you can download the form, complete a paper version, and send it via mail. When sending a claim application, you need to attach a copy of the medical report.
The medical report should be from the doctor who treated you for the injuries suffered. Further, you need to pay the processing fee. The amount varies, depending on the mode of application used. Online forms cost less compared to email or paper applications. For injured minors, representation by adults is often required.
Essentially, claim applications must be submitted to the PIAB within two years of an accident. All documents—the claim application, medical report, and required fee—must be submitted to the body within this timeframe.
- Notification Of Respondent
After receiving the application from the claimant, the PIAB sends a notification to the respondent. The purpose of the notification is to inform the individuals or organizations sued by the claimant about the application filed against them.
Upon receiving the notification, the respondent may or may not agree to an assessment of the claim by the PIAB. If the respondent decides that PIAB should not assess the compensation claim filed by the claimant, the claimant can litigate the matter in a court of law. The PIAB issues the claimant with authorization to take the case through the court system to facilitate this.
If this happens, the claimant can hire a personal injury lawyer to boost the chances of getting fair compensation. In most cases, the respondent is represented by an insurance firm. Although respondents can turn down the assessment, most respondents agree with the PIAB assessment.
- Medical Examination
Although claimants must submit a medical report from the doctor who treats their injuries when filing a compensation application, PIAB may organize an independent medical examination. In situations where such analysis is required, the investigation is conducted before a claim assessment is undertaken.
Upon completing the medical examination, PIAB proceeds to assess the claimant’s compensation. Often, the assessment focuses on the claimant’s monetary value of the claim.
- Determination Of Compensation
After assessing a claimant’s claim and conducting an independent medical examination where the PIAB deems fit, a decision is made on how much to compensate the claimant. The PIAB uses personal injuries guidelines that show compensation awards that personal injury victims can receive in Ireland to determine a claimant’s compensation.
The decision is communicated to both the respondent and the claimant. If they accept the decision, the claimant receives a settlement cheque from the respondent.
Final Thoughts
If you get injured at the workplace, in a public space, or in a road accident, you can pursue compensation for injuries sustained. Fair compensation allows you to cater to medical bills, damages, and income losses resulting from sustained injuries.
In Ireland, all compensation claims for personal injuries, except those relating to medical injuries, must be filed with the Public Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB). The claim application must be submitted to the PIAB within two years of an accident. The PIAB assesses the claims and uses established guidelines to determine settlements for different claims.
Where respondents turn down an assessment offer from PIAB, the board authorizes claimants to pursue the claim in court. Follow the steps discussed above if you plan to make a personal injury claim to the PIAB.
