Claims Ireland

Personal injury payouts higher for men

07-Apr-2008

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Men receive higher average payouts than women when it comes to claims through the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB), but women make more claims.

But this can be explained by higher car-ownership and higher wages among men, according to Patricia Byron, chief executive of the PIAB.

In all, the PIAB awarded EUR181m in claims last year, which was up over 50pc on 2006.

The figures, released ahead of a crucial Supreme Court hearing next month over the PIAB's policy of refusing to deal with solicitors, showed 72pc of all claims are motor-accident related.

These figures come from the board's report on the claims it processed in 2007.

It is the first report of its kind released by the board, which was set up in 2004, and "doesn't show any real surprises", according to Ms Byron.

The board had expected to process between 8,500 and 10,000 claims in 2007; the actual figure came in at 8,200.

Women accounted for 53pc off all motor claims processed through the PIAB but their average awards was EUR847 less, at EUR21,313, than the average paid to a man, which came in at an average of EUR22,140 per claim.

The highest payouts went to leg, pelvis and foot injuries, where on an average claim paid out EUR28,519. This was over EUR5,000 more than people received for multiple injuries and a staggering EUR10,900 more than the average for neck, back and whiplash injuries.

Whiplash

Multiple injuries and neck, back and whiplash injuries accounted for over 80pc of all motor claims. Psychological injuries, arm and leg injuries, head injuries and upper body injuries made up the remainder, with average payouts per claim coming in at EUR21,707.

Although Dublin has the largest percentage of claims at 23.66pc -- per size of population, it has one of the lowest claim rates.

The claim-rate list is topped by Louth, who made 4.5pc of the claims with just 2.6pc of the population -- followed by Limerick, Westmeath and Cork.

Ms Byron did say the figures show that women have more motor accidents than men, but in the main they are of less severity than accidents.

The PIAB feels these figures will be of interest to Insurers in Ireland. In nearly every category of car insurance, women still pay less than men.

She said: "Insurers are bound to be interested looking at it from an actuary point of view."