When things go right . . . "James" walked into his manager's office. He tripped over wires that were protruding from the back of his manager's computer.
James fell on to his face and sustained carpet burns and cuts to his face. PIAB awarded €18,000 at a delivery cost of €1,260 within the assessment time of nine months. Under the old system it would have cost €8,280 and taken approximately three years. "Frank" was walking across the floor towards the opposite side of the machine area. The floor was wet and his employer had not put up a warning sign. Frank fell backwards and tried to use his right hand to try to protect his head. As he fell backwards he sustained a twist injury to his right wrist. PIAB awarded €27,000 at a delivery cost of €1,375 within the assessment time of nine months.
Under the old system the delivery cost would have been €12,420 and it would have taken approximately three years.
. . .and when things go wrong
"Kate" tripped on an uneven pavement in July 2004 and fell on broken glass, severing the tendon in her wrist. She was unable to work for eight months and had to move home. Her solicitor applied to PIAB but they lost her file.
"I wouldn't have got anywhere without my mam. They treated her quite badly until she threatened to go to the press."
She moved to England to study but had to make several visits home at her own expense for medical examinations. In March 2007, just two days before its statutory remit ran out, PIAB informed Kate that it could not deal with her case because of the ongoing nature of her injuries. "It was very frustrating. After 2.5 years, I was back at square one," she says.
Her case now has to wend its way through the legal system. Later this month, she has to come back again from England for another medical examination because the respondent's solicitors won't accept the original, detailed medical report drawn up under the PIAB system.
So far, Kate has amassed bills of over €2,500 but reckons it will be another two years - or over five years since her accident - before she gets a result from court.