The Injuries Resolution Board (IRB), formerly known as the Personal Injuries Assessment Board or PIAB, is the State body responsible for dealing with most personal injury claims in Ireland before court proceedings are considered.
The organisation was originally established under the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Act 2003.
It was renamed the Injuries Resolution Board in December 2023 following changes introduced under the Personal Injuries Resolution Board Act 2022.
The change was more than a new name. The Board can now offer mediation as well as its existing assessment process, giving claimants and respondents another way of resolving a personal injury claim without going to court.
The IRB deals mainly with claims arising from road traffic accidents, workplace accidents and accidents in public places.
If both parties accept an assessment made by the Board, an Order to Pay is issued. This has a similar legal effect to a court order.
What types of accidents does the IRB assess in Ireland?
The Injuries Resolution Board assesses many of the personal injury claims that arise from everyday accidents in Ireland, including:
- Workplace injuries
- Road traffic accidents
- Serious injuries arising from qualifying accidents
- Slips, trips and falls
- Accidents in shops and other public places
- Other employer and public liability accidents
The Board can assess compensation for the injury itself together with financial losses caused by the accident, such as medical expenses and loss of earnings.
Medical negligence claims are treated differently and generally do not go through the Injuries Resolution Board.
What claims are not assessed by the IRB?
Not every personal injury claim is suitable for assessment by the IRB.
One of the main exclusions is a claim arising from medical or surgical treatment, medical advice or another health service.
This includes medical negligence and many dental negligence claims.
There are also circumstances where the Board can decide that a particular case is not appropriate for assessment because of the nature or complexity of the claim.
It is worth noting that psychological injuries are no longer automatically excluded.
The Injuries Resolution Board can now deal with claims where a psychological injury is the main injury, provided the claim otherwise falls within its remit.
Where the Board cannot assess a claim, it may issue an Authorisation allowing the claimant to consider court proceedings.
The fee to make an application
The current fee for making an application to the Injuries Resolution Board is:
- €45 when the application is made online
- €90 when the application is made by post or email
A medical report from the doctor treating the injury is normally required as part of the application, and the doctor may charge a fee for preparing it.
The application fee and the reasonable cost of obtaining the treating doctor’s report can be considered as part of the final award.
There may also be legal or expert costs where a solicitor or another professional is instructed.
The claim process
To bring a successful personal injury claim, it is generally necessary to show that another person or organisation was responsible for the accident and that you suffered injury as a result.
1. Contact our personal injury solicitor
Our personal injury solicitors can review how the accident happened and advise whether your claim should be submitted to the Injuries Resolution Board.
Many people choose to have a solicitor deal with the application, medical evidence and correspondence on their behalf, particularly where the injuries are serious or there is disagreement about what happened.
2. The Injuries Resolution Board application
The next step for most qualifying personal injury claims is to submit an application to the Injuries Resolution Board.
This generally includes details of the accident, the person or organisation against whom the claim is being made and a medical report describing the injuries.
Claims commonly submitted to the Board include:
- Workplace accidents
- Road traffic accidents
- Serious injuries arising from accidents
- Accidents in public places
Medical negligence claims do not normally go through this process.
3. Submitting information and documents
Medical evidence is an important part of the claim.
Your solicitor can obtain the reports and supporting evidence needed to explain the injuries and their effect on your life.
Details of financial losses may also be submitted. These can include medical expenses, loss of earnings, rehabilitation costs, travel expenses and other costs arising directly from the accident.
The Injuries Resolution Board may also arrange an independent medical examination before completing its assessment.
4. Respondent consent and mediation
Once a valid application has been made, the Injuries Resolution Board sends a Formal Notice to the person or organisation against whom the claim is being made. This person or organisation is referred to as the respondent.
The respondent generally has 90 days to indicate whether they consent to the Board dealing with the claim.
The Board can now also offer mediation.
Mediation is voluntary and confidential. It allows both sides, with the assistance of an independent mediator, to discuss issues such as compensation, liability, the extent of the injuries and future treatment.
If an agreement is reached through mediation and signed by both parties, there is a 10-day cooling-off period. After that period, the agreement becomes binding if neither side withdraws.
Mediation has become an increasingly important part of the IRB process. In 2025, mediated claims were resolved in an average of approximately three months.
5. Claim assessment
Where the claim proceeds to assessment, the Injuries Resolution Board considers the medical evidence, the injuries suffered and the financial losses arising from the accident.
The Board states that most assessments are completed in around nine months from the date the respondent consents, although the time taken can vary depending on the complexity of the claim.
Once the assessment is issued:
- The claimant generally has 28 days to accept or reject it.
- The respondent generally has 21 days to accept or reject it.
If both parties accept the assessment, an Order to Pay is issued.
If either side rejects the assessment, the Board normally issues an Authorisation.
The claimant can then decide whether to pursue the claim through the courts.
How does the IRB calculate injury claim?
The Injuries Resolution Board uses the Personal Injuries Guidelines when assessing compensation for pain and suffering.
The Guidelines place different injuries into categories according to their severity and provide ranges of compensation that can apply.
As of September 2026, the Guidelines introduced in April 2021 remain the legally effective Guidelines. Proposed amendments have been prepared, but they have not yet come into force.
The amount assessed will depend on the individual circumstances of the claim, including:
- The nature and seriousness of the injury
- How long recovery is expected to take
- Whether symptoms are permanent
- Treatment or rehabilitation required
- The effect on work and everyday life
- Psychological consequences
- Financial losses caused by the accident
Compensation for pain and suffering is generally referred to as general damages.
The Board can also take account of special damages, which are financial losses resulting from the accident.
These can include medical expenses, loss of earnings and other reasonable out-of-pocket costs.
An assessment is not automatically binding. Both the claimant and respondent have the right to accept or reject it.
Time limits
In Ireland, an adult generally has two years to bring a personal injury claim.
The period normally runs from the date of the accident or the person’s date of knowledge, whichever is later.
Date of knowledge becomes important where someone did not immediately realise that they had suffered an injury or that it was connected with the accident.
Different rules apply to children.
A parent or guardian can bring a claim on behalf of a child before they reach 18.
Where no claim is brought during childhood, the limitation period generally does not begin to run against the child until their eighteenth birthday.
Making a valid application to the Injuries Resolution Board also affects how the limitation period is calculated, so it is important not to leave an application until close to the deadline.
Because limitation periods can depend on the individual circumstances of a claim, early legal advice is recommended.
