Press Release Annual Report 2024

PRESS RELEASE

Injuries Resolution Board 2024 Annual Report marks 20 years of resolving personal injury claims, with almost 200,000 claims assessed equating to over €4bn in compensation

20 Years of Personal Injury Claims Resolution:

• Over 20 years, the Injuries Resolution Board has managed over half a million personal injury claim applications
• Made Nearly 200,000 assessments for compensation, resulting in over €4bn awarded
• More than 100,000 cases successfully resolved through the Board’s assessment service, with a total value of €2.4 billion
• As a result, saving of an estimated €1.2 billion have been made in avoided legal costs in 20 years as a result of claims not going into litigation.

2024 Annual Report:

• €168 million was awarded in compensation during 2024, with more than €76 million saved in avoided legal costs
• Claim volumes remained 33% lower than 2019 levels, reflecting the continued impact of the Personal Injuries Guidelines.
• The Board’s new mediation service successfully completed its roll-out across all liability categories with resolution times averaging just 3 months.
• In the first full year of Garda Compensation Scheme claims under the Board’s remit, over 500 personal injury claims were submitted with average resolution time of 6 months. Under the previous scheme, all claims had to go to the High Court and resolution of claims could take many years to finalise, some cases made to the Board were in excess of 15 years old.
• Consent and Acceptance rates remained high.
• Ø 2024 marks the third consecutive year that overall consent rates, that is how many insurers or respondents have said yes to using our service have been 70% or higher
• Ø Acceptance rates, that is where both parties accept an Injuries Resolution Board award grew again to 50% up from 48% in 2023.

Dublin, 9th, July 2025 - The Injuries Resolution Board today published its 2024 Annual Report, marking a year in which the Board celebrated a significant milestone - of 20 years of providing fair, impartial, and cost-effective personal injury claim resolution for people and businesses across Ireland.

Since its establishment in 2004, the Injuries Resolution Board has awarded over €4 billion in compensation through nearly 200,000 claims, saving more than €1.2 billion that would otherwise have been spent through lengthy litigation.

Welcoming the launch of the Annual Report, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke said:

“Today’s Annual Report from the Injuries Resolution Board clearly demonstrates how the Board’s model, since its establishment in 2004, continues to deliver major benefits for Ireland. The Board’s evolution during this time, including the introduction of the mediation service, shows how it continues to adapt and innovate and to deliver even greater public value. I want to commend the Board for its on-going work, which last year alone generated savings of €76million in avoided legal costs”.

Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation, Niamh Smyth in recognising the Board’s achievements said:

“The Injuries Resolution Board’s work reduces the cost, time and stress for all involved in personal injury claims.

The Annual Report clearly shows the substantial reduction in both the cost and volume of injury claims since 2019. The reduction in the cost of settling claims – with awards down by 39% from 2019, is particularly significant.

 It is particularly positive to see the consent rate from respondents for the Board’s process in 2024 was over 70% for the third year in row, demonstrating the trust in the Board’s system.

We need to ensure that as many injuries claims as possible are settled through the Board rather than through litigation”.

Injuries Resolution Board Chief Executive Rosalind Carroll added:

"2024 marked the 20th anniversary of the Board, highlighting two decades of progress in resolving personal injury claims with over €1.2 billion saved in avoided legal costs as a direct result of claims being resolved through the Board, with €76 million alone saved in in 2024.

The enhancement and expansion of our services to include mediation and the Garda Compensation Scheme, increases our potential to resolve a greater number of claims and demonstrates the difference we can make to individuals who have suffered an injury through no fault of their own, and at the same time bring with this savings on both time and costs.

We exist to offer an alternative to litigation to provide a fair, impartial, non-adversarial route to resolve injury claims in a faster, and less stressful way. We have delivered on this successfully over the last twenty years, with a very different environment today then there was 20 years ago.  

When looking at 2024 of note is that claim volumes for personal injury remain 33% lower than 2019, and therefore it is important to consider the impact on this in overall value of claims in Ireland.  In particular, in 2024 there has been no increase in claims in public liability and a 5% decrease in employer liability. In a time where cost is a factor for many businesses and consumers and in an area where cost and availability of insurance has traditionally been a challenge this is a very positive trend."

Other findings

 2024 at a glance

• Claims submitted: 20,837 (+3% compared to 2023)
• Claims volume: 33% lower than 2019 pre-Guidelines levels
• 2024 Claim volume up 3%, a driver in this increase was the introduction of the new garda compensation scheme which added to the overall portfolio of claims the Board deals with but significantly claims decreased by 5% for employer liability and there was no increase in public liability claims. Motor claims saw a small increase of 4%.
• Total awarded compensation: €168 million, down 39% from €275 million in 2019
• Median award: €13,100 (up 12% but 29% lower than 2020)
•  Costs saved in 2024 by claims not proceeding to litigation: €76 million.
• Acceptance rate: 50%, highest since Guidelines were introduced
• Consent rate: 70%, showing strong sustained engagement
• Average assessment duration: 11.2 months, with 51% resolved within 9 months
• Breakdown of awards by category:

Motor Liability: 69%

Public Liability: 13%

Employer Liability: 17%

Garda Compensation: 2%

• Highest award: €634,875
• Lowest award: €69

20 years at a glance:

• 535,009 applications
• 179,336 awards of compensation
• €2.4bn in awards accepted
• Over €1.2bn saved in avoided litigation costs
• Over €4bn in awards made

_________________________________

ENDS   

Annual Report 2024

Tuarascail bhliantuil 2024

About the Injuries Resolution Board 

The Injuries Resolution Board is the independent state body for personal injury claims resolution in Ireland. The organisation supports the fair, prompt, and transparent resolution of personal injuries claims without the need for unnecessary litigation. The remit of the organisation was broadened in 2023 with the introduction of new services such as mediation as well as an extended remit for Research. It is a self-funded public body and is a key pillar in contributing to the reform of the insurance sector and the personal injuries environment. The state body generates millions in savings which would otherwise be spent on pursuing claims through litigation, leading to higher costs for policyholders. 

All Personal Injuries Claim in Ireland must be made to the Injuries Resolution Board unless settled early and directly between parties.  Therefore, the Board has significant and valuable data on claims in Ireland.