What to do after a personal injury accident in Ireland : After any personal injury accident, you first concern should be that of your health. No amount of personal injury compensation will make up for a lifelong health issue or disability that could have been prevented by timely medical intervention. Therefore, after a personal injury accident, summon an ambulance if your injury is severe, or have somebody take you to hospital or your doctor´s surgery as a matter of urgency. Gather witness statements and take photos of the accident scene only if you are physically able to do so — your solicitor will get these for you if required.
You can find out how much is your injury compensation claim worth by submitting your claim for a personal injury to the Injuries Board. Your case will be assessed and personal injury compensation amounts will be calculated on your behalf, in line with the Book of Quantum. However, if you want to find out how much compensation can be claimed for your injury before you start the legal process of recovering compensation for a personal injury – as well as finding out how you can maximise the probability of recovering your full entitlement to compensation – your best option is to speak with a personal injury solicitor before contacting the Injuries Board. A solicitor will conduct an impartial assessment of your case and you will find out if you are entitled to make a claim, and if so, how much is your injury compensation claim is likely to be worth.
This is particularly important for cases in which the illness or injury does not stem from a single event; for example, if a worker has contracted mesothelioma due to repeated exposure to workplace asbestos, one cannot pick a date within that time period from which to apply The Statute of Limitations. Instead, the Stature of Limitations proceeds from the date on which the worker is diagnosed with cancer. Read extra details on Compensation amounts in Ireland.
In Ireland, the Statute of Limitations serves to limit the period of time after an accident occurs, or the injured party is made aware of injuries, for which a plaintiff can make a claim for compensation. In most cases, the Statute is a period of two years from that date of knowledge, although when exactly is considered the “date of knowledge” can vary depending on the nature of the injury or the personal circumstances of the claimant. With the Statute of Limitations in mind, it is advised that those seeking compensation contact legal counsel as soon as possible after an accident occurs. This allows for adequate time to initiate court proceedings or file with the Injuries Board.
If the claimant has admitted to contributory negligence, any negotiations between the plaintiff and the respondent will usually be protracted and claims will take significantly longer to resolve than other, less complex cases. Ordinarily, this is a direct result of the conflict between the parties as to how much negligence will be assigned – the insurers or legal representatives of the accused will want to assign the claimant as high a percentage of the liability as possible. In these instances, it is particularly important that those seeking compensation engage with a solicitor who will negotiate for their best interests. See extra info at http://www.personal-injury-ireland.com/.
Though there is a lack of clear and relevant statistics concerning work injury compensation claims made in Ireland, annual figures released by the Injuries Board Ireland would suggest that there are approximately one thousand claims made each year. However, it is important to note that there is no way to distinguish between injuries caused by employer negligence and other accidents when looking at many of the statistics provided. Despite the unclear data, one notable trend is the reduced number of fatal accidents at the workplace each year. This could be attributed to the general decline in what would have traditionally been the most dangerous industries – construction, fishing and agriculture – though recent improvements in health and safety practices have also helped the decline. However, in contrast to this positive trend, an increased number of sick days are being claimed by employees. There are many theories as to why this could be the case – employees may be more stressed, leading to stress-induced injuries, or the businesses may have lowered maintenance standards and put the health of their employees at stake.
Figures from the Injuries Board Ireland clearly show how that the majority of claims for personal injuries in Ireland are made for car accidents: more than seventy-five percent of the claims filed with the organization relate to traffic accidents. This equates to around twenty claims for car accident compensation made in Ireland every day. With limited public transport that is largely restricted to cities, it is not surprising to consider how widespread car ownership, elevating the prevalence of car accidents in Ireland. It is best to seek legal advice as soon as possible after the accident has occurred to maximize your chance of receiving compensation. Read more details on http://www.personal-injury-ireland.com/personal-injury-special-damages-ireland/.