Personal injury solicitor advice: How long does a claim take in Ireland?
When dealing with an injury claim, one of the main questions you will have for your personal injury solicitor is how long will it take?
Unfortunately, the justice system in Ireland moves slowly. Sometimes, these cases can take months or even years. It is all dependent on the severity and complexity of the claim at hand.
A personal injury solicitor is needed for every stage of the process and it is always crucial that you engage and communicate with yours regularly.
A personal injury solicitor will be able to give you a guide timeline, but often it is very difficult to accurately judge how long a claim will take.
However, there is a rough indication that can be provided in some circumstances.
While you may be quick to think all injury claims go to court, your personal injury solicitor will tell you differently.
In actuality, the majority of personal injury claims in Ireland are submitted to the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB). The PIAB is an independent state body that deals with personal injury claims directly. First established in 2004, the PIAB has dealt with more than 130,000 cases since its inception. These cases include everything from road traffic accidents to public liability cases.
A personal injury solicitor will usually tell you that a case with the PIAB can take anything from seven to nine months to look and manage a case. At the end of the assessment the PIAB returns with a compensation recommendation.
When this is received by the parties involved, there is a 28-day grace period to accept it or reject it.
The personal injury solicitor will then tell you that if rejected, the case will then go through the Irish courts. This can take anything from one to two years to complete.
In cases that revolve around medical negligence, a personal injury solicitor will inform you that the PIAB does not process such claims. Because of the serious and complex nature of these cases, the reality is they go through the courts and can take years to complete.
A time measure can be anything from two to five years, even though many cases are settled outside of court.
As always, your personal injury solicitor will be able to advise you on a timeframe that takes into account the nature of your claim.
If you have any questions regarding injury claims or need a personal injury solicitor, please contact Ronan Enright Solicitors at (021) 235 5443 or email info@ronanenright.com
