Limerick records highest number of personal injury claims

Kilkenny had lowest awards rate over last five years according to Injuries Board Ireland

County Limerick had the highest number of personal injury awards in the state for the last five years, according to Injuries Board Ireland

County Limerick had the highest number of personal injury awards in the state for the last five years, according to Injuries Board Ireland.

Kilkenny had the lowest awards rate over the same period, the statistics showed.

Longford had the largest rise in awards rate over a single year.

Overall, €281.21 million was granted in personal injury awards last year, a 16 per cent increase on 2013. The average sum awarded was €22,642.

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The board’s annual report showed that 50 awards per 10,000 people were made in Limerick last year, 24 above the state average. The gap has widened between Limerick and all other counties over the past five years.

Awards in Kilkenny were just 50 per cent of the national average for 2014, with a rate of 13 per 10,000 people. Awards within the county rose by three per 10,000 over the past five years, the lowest of any county.

In Longford which had the largest single year increase, the number of awards jumped by 44 per cent last year after a minor decrease in 2013.

Injuries Board Ireland, the government body which makes personal injury award assessments, said the volume of personal injury awards was influenced by the number of accidents and the likelihood of these claims being settled without the board’s intervention.

“As this information is not known it is difficult to draw any conclusions as to why one county has more awards than another relative to population,” a spokesman said.