Catastrophic Injury Claim Solicitors

What is Catastrophic Injury?

A catastrophic injury is defined as any severe injury resulting in permanent disability, long-term medical problems, or reduced life expectancy.

Our team of experienced catastrophic injury claim solicitors has over 30 years of collective experience handling cases for those who have suffered a serious injury.

We have assisted many clients in recovering maximum damages, and we believe in putting the needs of our clients first. We are committed to obtaining the best possible outcome for you and take pleasure in our sensitive approach.

Have you been affected as a result of a Catastrophic Injury?

1. If you want to take legal action over a serious injury, you should consult our injury solicitors, who are members of the Law Society’s injury accreditation scheme.
2. With over 15 years of experience with catastrophic injury claims, our injury team, led by Philip Treacy, puts the needs of their clients first in everything they do.
3. Call us at 1800 844 104 (Free Phone) or email [email protected] to speak with a member of our catastrophic injury claim teams.

Personal injury claim types our solicitors manage

Our team of experienced Personal Injury Claim Solicitors at Coleman Legal continuously educates themselves on all aspects of personal injury claims.

Serious injury claim

• Head & Brain Injury
• Back & Spinal Injury
• Nerve Damage
• Eye Injury
• Neurological Damage
• Fatal Accidents
• Lower Body Injuries

Birth injury claim

• Birth Injury Claim
• Cerebral Palsy Claim
• Brachial Plexus & Erb’s Palsy Claim
• Congenital Hip Dysplasia Claim
• Obstetric/ Gynaecological Claim
• Vaginal Perineal Tears Claim
• Meconium Aspiration Syndrome Claim 

Road traffic accident claim

• Car Accident
• Bicycle Accident Claim
• Motorcycle Accident Claim
• E-Bike / E-Scooter Accident Claim
• Taxi Accident Claim
• Bus Accident Claim
• Pedestrian Accident Claim
• Public Transport Accident Claim
• Luas Accident Claim
• Other Major Road Traffic Accident Claim

Factory accident claim

• Asbestosis Claim
• Mesothelioma Claim
• Warehouse Accident Claim
• Industrial Accident Claim
• Crush Injury Claim
• Over Exposure Claim
• Defective Equipment Claim
• Loss of Limb Claim
• Noise-Induced Hearing Loss 

Construction accident claim

• Machinery Handling Accidents Claim
• Defective Machinery Accidents Claim
• Moving Vehicle Accidents Claim
• Welding and Chemical Burns Claim
• Electrical Injury at Work Claim
• Slip and Fall Injury

Other accidents in the workplace claim

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
• Repetitive Strain Injury

Accidents in Public Place Claim

• Accidents in a Supermarket
• Car Park Accidents
• Claims against a council or local authority for an accident on a footpath, public park, or poorly maintained or hazardous public space.
• Slips, trips, and falls in public places
• Accidents in a Hotel
• Accidents in a Restaurant
• Food Poisoning from a Restaurant
• Accident on a Petrol Station Forecourt
• Accidents Caused by Spillages

The catastrophic injury claim application process in Ireland

1. Contact our serious injury solicitor:

Our serious injury claim Solicitors are experts in advising clients on how to make these claims. Many people use a solicitor to aid with this application process as a lot of paperwork and filing are required, and our expert team is on hand to make the process as smooth as possible.

2. The PIAB Application:

The next step is to make an application to the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB). If your personal injury claim concerns anything other than medical negligence, some assaults, and some cases of entirely psychological injury, then your claim can be brought through PIAB. Examples of claims that PIAB covers include:

• Workplace injury
• Road traffic accidents
• Catastrophic injury
• Accidents in public places

3. Submitting information and documents to PIAB:

Your solicitor will obtain evidence, medical reports, and other expert reports required. And submits these documents to the Board for Assessment.

4. Consent to assess the claim:

Once the application is made, PIAB issue a formal notification of claim to the defendant(s). The defendant(s) must indicate within 90 days whether or not they consent or not to the assessment of the claim. If the defendant consents, then PIAB will proceed to assess the claim. If they decline to have the case assessed, the PIAB will issue an Authorisation to allow the claimant to issue court proceedings.

5. Claim assessment time:

If PIAB is assessing the claim, this will usually take about 9 months. They will then issue their Assessment of your claim, this amount reflects general and special damages awarded in respect of your claim. If the Assessment is accepted by both parties, the PIAB will issue an Order to Pay. The Order to Pay has the same status as an Order of the Court, and must be discharged by the defendant(s) within 10 days. A settlement cheque will then be issued to the claimant.

If the Assessment is rejected by either party, an Authorisation will be granted by PIAB to bring court proceedings.

How much compensation can I receive for a catastrophic injury claim in Ireland?

How much compensation you receive for a serious injury claim is dictated by two legally binding documents known as:

The “Book of Quantum” and

The recently published Personal Injuries Guidelines by the Judicial Council of Ireland.

The Book of Quantum dictates how much compensation you are owed if your Authorisation was received from PIAB prior to the 21st of April 2021. In all other cases, compensation in respect of general damages is assessed with the aid of the Judicial council’s Personal Injuries Guidelines.

The Book of Quantum sets out general guidelines as to the amounts that may be awarded or assessed in Personal Injury Claims. The guidelines are divided into sections depending on what category of injury was suffered, e.g., head injuries, neck injuries, back injuries and spinal fractures, upper limb injuries, lower limb injuries, and body and internal organs. The Book of Quantum sets out 4 steps to assess what compensation is appropriate for the suffered injury. These steps are as follows:

1. Identify the category of injury
2. Assess the severity of the injury (through medical reports and records)
3. Research the value range
4. Consider the effect of multiple injuries

The Personal Injuries Guidelines were adopted by The Judicial Council on the 6th of March 2021. Similar to the Book of Quantum, this legal document sets out guidelines for assessing compensation in respect of general damages. The general principles for this assessment centre on three criteria:

1. Awards of damages must be fair and reasonable to both the claimant and the defendant(s)
2. Awards must be proportionate to the injuries sustained
3. Awards must be compared on a scale of injuries that are both of a lesser and greater magnitude

One of the most substantial differences brought about by this update is that the average level of damages awarded has been reduced. The new guidelines have, however, provided more detail and more explanation for claimants, which is overall a welcomed change to the process of making a personal injury claim.

The Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB)

Often referred to as PIAB (or the Injuries Board), the board was set up in 2004 by the Government to specifically deal with personal injury claims for compensation from anyone who has been in an accident and suffered an injury.

• The effect of PIAB has meant that a person cannot issue proceedings until they have first made a valid application to the Injuries Board.
• That application is then registered with and assessed by PIAB.
• You are not allowed to bring a personal injury claim before the Courts unless you have an authorisation from PIAB to do so.

An authorisation from PIAB to proceed through the Courts will issue if

• The Respondent refuses to engage with PIAB;
• If PIAB refuses to proceed to an assessment or;
• If the applicant (the injured party) refuses to accept

If you have received an assessment from PIAB and are happy with the sum and the Respondent accepts that assessment or takes no subsequent action, you are entitled to receive that sum, and you do not have to go to Court. This saves claimants both time and money.

If the Respondent refuses to acknowledge PIAB or participate in the Injuries Board assessment, or you are not happy with the amount proposed by the Board, you are entitled to proceed through the Courts.

Statute of limitations for a serious injury claim

You have two years from the date of the accident within which to issue proceedings.

If you are under 18, a separate set of rules apply, and we would recommend you contact our solicitors to discuss these.

To learn more about the statute of limitation for a personal injury claim, click here.

Choosing a catastrophic injury solicitor

If you have been involved in an accident or suffered an injury at the hands of another person, we would advise all persons to contact our personal injury claim solicitors at the earliest available opportunity.

We represent clients in a variety of personal injury claims; road traffic accidents, workplace injury, serious injury, medical negligence, and public liability claims. Please take some time to browse our website to learn more about the services we offer as a personal injury solicitors practice in Dublin.

If you want to take legal action over a personal injury, you should consult our injury solicitors, who are members of the Law Society’s injury accreditation scheme and clinical negligence accreditation scheme. Contacted us at:

Coleman Legal LLP

Solicitors
84 Talbot Street, Dublin 1
D01 YX60
DX 112002

Contact Details:
Free Phone: (1800)844104
Fax: (01) 5312727
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.colemanlegalpartners.ie
Online Enquiry Form: Apply