The Injuries Resolution Board has published its latest Personal Injuries Award Values Report, covering the period from 1 January to 30 June 2025. For people who have suffered injury through the negligence of another party, the report contains several encouraging findings.
While award values remain lower than they were before the introduction of the Personal Injuries Guidelines in 2021, the figures show that thousands of claims continue to be assessed, serious injury cases continue to attract substantial compensation and psychological injuries are now a significant part of the claims landscape.
The report also shows that the Board is assessing a greater proportion of moderate, severe and complex injury claims. For injured claimants, this is important. It confirms that the personal injury system continues to provide a route to compensation where a claim is properly supported by evidence.
Key Findings from the H1 2025 Report
Between January and June 2025, the Injuries Resolution Board received 10,314 personal injury claim applications across motor liability, public liability and employer liability claims. This figure excludes Garda Compensation Scheme applications and fatal accident claims.
During the same period, the Board assessed 4,342 claims for compensation, excluding fatal cases and Garda Compensation Scheme claims. These assessments related to road traffic accidents, workplace accidents and accidents in public settings.
| Measure | H1 2025 figure |
|---|---|
| Claim applications | 10,314 |
| Assessments of compensation | 4,342 |
| Median award | €13,300 |
| Average award | €19,343 |
| Consent rate | 68% |
| Acceptance rate | 49% |
The report also shows that claim volumes remain significantly below 2019 levels:
- Overall claim volumes remain 38% lower than the first half of 2019.
- Motor liability claim volumes are down 35% compared with H1 2019.
- Public liability claim volumes are down 44% compared with H1 2019.
- Employer liability claim volumes are down 41% compared with H1 2019.
Although claim volumes are lower than in 2019, the figures show that the Injuries Resolution Board continues to handle a substantial number of personal injury claims. For people who have been injured, the report confirms that the claims process remains active and that compensation continues to be assessed across road traffic, workplace and public liability claims.
Claim Volumes Have Stabilised
The report confirms that personal injury claim volumes remain significantly below pre-pandemic and pre-Guideline levels. In the first half of 2025, the Board received 10,314 applications, compared with substantially higher levels in 2019.
However, the report also notes that claim volumes have now broadly stabilised. Compared with the first half of 2024, overall claim volumes increased by less than 1%. Motor liability and employer liability claims remained broadly stable, while public liability claims rose by approximately 2%.
For claimants, this is a useful reminder that, despite the significant reforms introduced in recent years, personal injury claims continue to be brought and assessed in meaningful numbers.
Award Values Remain Lower Than Pre-Guideline Levels, But Have Stabilised
One of the most important points in the report is that personal injury award values remain lower than they were before the Personal Injuries Guidelines were introduced.
In H1 2025:
- The median award was €13,300, which is 28% lower than the 2020 median award of €18,422.
- The average award was €19,343, which is 19% lower than the 2020 average award of €23,877.
Compared with 2020, the reduction is particularly clear in public liability and motor liability claims. Public liability claims saw a 39% reduction in median award value, while motor liability claims saw a 30% reduction.
Employer liability claims have been less affected, with the median employer liability award in H1 2025 standing at €20,250, a 14% reduction compared with 2020.
| Category | H1 2025 median | Change vs 2020 | H1 2025 average | Change vs 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motor liability | €12,552 | -30% | €17,686 | -20% |
| Public liability | €12,677 | -39% | €19,816 | -24% |
| Employer liability | €20,250 | -14% | €28,330 | -7% |
| Overall | €13,300 | -28% | €19,343 | -19% |
Although awards remain significantly lower than pre-Guideline levels, there are encouraging signs for claimants. The overall median award increased from €13,000 in 2024 to €13,300 in H1 2025, an increase of approximately 2%. The average award increased from €18,967 in 2024 to €19,343 in H1 2025, also an increase of approximately 2%.
This does not mean that award values have returned to pre-Guideline levels. They have not. However, the figures suggest that the sharp reductions seen after the introduction of the Guidelines have now levelled out.
The report also indicates that this stabilisation is partly connected to the Board assessing a greater proportion of more complex injury claims.
More Moderate and Severe Injury Claims Are Being Assessed
One of the more significant findings in the report is that the Board is now assessing a greater proportion of moderate and severe injury claims.
In the first half of 2025, among the most common injury categories analysed:
- 76% were classified as minor severity.
- 20% were classified as moderate severity.
- 4% were classified as severe or serious.
This compares with the period immediately after the Guidelines were introduced, when 86% of assessed claims were classified as minor severity.
| Injury severity | Apr-Dec 2021 | H1 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Minor | 86% | 76% |
| Moderate | 13% | 20% |
| Severe / serious | 2% | 4% |
The Board states that this indicates more complex injury cases are now being retained and assessed through its process, rather than progressing directly to litigation.
For injured claimants, this is an important point. It shows that the Board is not only dealing with lower-value or minor injury claims. More serious claims are also being assessed and those claims can result in higher awards where the evidence supports them.
Psychological Injuries Are Now a Significant Part of Assessments
A major development highlighted in the report is the increased assessment of psychiatric or psychological injury claims.
Legislative changes introduced in 2023 expanded the Board’s remit, allowing it to assess claims involving wholly psychological injuries. Since then, psychiatric damage claims have become a more prominent feature of personal injury assessments.
In the period immediately after the Guidelines were introduced, psychiatric damage was the most significant injury in 5% of awards. By H1 2025, that figure had risen to 14%.
The report notes that this proportion remained the same as in the second half of 2024, suggesting that the increase has now stabilised.
For claimants, this is an encouraging development. Psychological injuries such as trauma, anxiety, depression or adjustment disorders can have a serious and lasting impact. Where such injuries arise from an accident or incident caused by another party’s negligence, they may form an important part of a personal injury claim.
It is also a reminder that the effects of an accident are not always purely physical. The psychological consequences of an accident should be carefully documented and supported by appropriate medical evidence.
Neck and Back Injury Claims Have Reduced as a Share of Awards
The report also shows a reduction in the proportion of claims where neck or back injuries are the most significant injury.
Immediately after the introduction of the Guidelines, neck and back injuries represented 53% of all awards. By H1 2025, this had fallen to 44%.
This shift is particularly evident in motor liability claims. Neck and back injuries remain the most common injury types in road traffic accident claims, but their share of motor liability awards fell from 65% in 2022 to 57% by mid-2025.
The Board links this trend to the effect of the Personal Injuries Guidelines, which reduced compensation levels for many minor soft tissue injuries, including certain whiplash-type injuries.
However, neck and back injuries remain a significant part of the personal injury landscape. The value of any such claim will depend on the severity of the injury, the recovery period, the prognosis, the effect on daily life and any related financial losses.
High-Value Awards Continue to Be Made in Serious Cases
While many awards remain below €15,000, the report confirms that substantial awards continue to be made in serious cases.
In the first half of 2025:
- The highest overall award was €284,047, relating to a motor liability claim involving severe injuries.
- The highest public liability award was €134,892.
- The highest employer liability award was €171,837.
The report also notes that 7% of awards in H1 2025 were valued at €50,000 or greater.
This is one of the most important points for injured claimants. While the Guidelines have reduced awards for many lower-value injuries, serious injury claims continue to attract substantial compensation where justified by the nature and impact of the injuries.
A claim involving a serious injury, long-term symptoms, loss of earnings, care requirements or significant disruption to daily life should be assessed carefully and supported by appropriate medical and financial evidence.
General Damages and Special Damages
The report also distinguishes between general damages and special damages.
General damages compensate an injured person for pain and suffering. Special damages cover financial losses and vouched expenses, such as loss of earnings, treatment costs, vehicle repair costs and other out-of-pocket expenses.
In H1 2025:
- The average general damages award was €16,642.
- The median general damages award was €12,000.
- The average special damages award was €2,690.
- The median special damages award was €837.
The report confirms that the Personal Injuries Guidelines apply to general damages. Special damages are assessed separately and depend on the actual financial losses suffered by the claimant.
For claimants, this is particularly important. The value of a claim is not limited to compensation for pain and suffering. Where a person has lost earnings, paid for medical treatment, incurred travel expenses, required assistance, or suffered other financial losses, those losses may also form part of the claim if they are properly documented and supported.
Consent and Acceptance Rates
When a personal injury claim is submitted to the Injuries Resolution Board, the respondent is asked whether they consent to the Board assessing or mediating the claim.
In H1 2025, the respondent consent rate was 68%. This is lower than the 71% recorded in 2024, but still significantly higher than the 55% consent rate recorded in both 2019 and 2020.
The acceptance rate in H1 2025 was 49%. This means that almost half of assessments were accepted by both the claimant and at least one respondent.
Where an assessment is accepted by both sides, the Board issues an Order to Pay. Where an assessment is rejected, the claimant may be authorised to pursue court proceedings.
This means that the Board process can provide a route to resolution in many cases, but it is not the only route. If an assessment does not properly reflect the injury, the losses sustained, or the impact on the claimant’s life, legal advice should be sought before deciding whether to accept or reject it.
What This Means for Injured Claimants
The H1 2025 report shows that Ireland’s personal injury system continues to resolve a significant number of claims through the Injuries Resolution Board.
For injured claimants, the key points arising from the report are:
- Personal injury claims continue to be assessed in significant numbers.
- Award values remain lower than pre-Guideline levels, but have stabilised since 2024.
- More moderate, severe and psychological injury claims are being assessed by the Board.
- Serious injuries can still attract substantial compensation.
- Psychological injuries are now a significant part of personal injury assessments.
- Special damages, such as loss of earnings and medical expenses, remain an important part of many claims.
- Court proceedings may still be available where a claim is not resolved through the Board process.
Every case depends on its own facts. The value of a personal injury claim will depend on the nature of the injury, the severity of symptoms, the prognosis, the effect on daily life, financial losses and the available evidence.
The report is therefore a useful reminder that injured people should not assume that a claim is low value or straightforward without first obtaining advice. The proper value of a claim can only be assessed by looking at the full medical evidence, the long-term prognosis and the financial impact of the injury.
How Good & Murray Smith LLP Can Help
If you have suffered an injury as a result of an accident, it is important to get legal advice at an early stage. A solicitor can help you understand whether you have a claim, what evidence is required and whether any assessment made by the Injuries Resolution Board properly reflects the impact of your injuries.
Good & Murray Smith LLP advises clients in relation to personal injury claims, including road traffic accidents, workplace accidents and public liability claims. We can assist with the Injuries Resolution Board process and, where necessary, advise on whether court proceedings should be considered.
We can help you gather the necessary medical evidence, document financial losses, assess the likely value of your claim and advise you on whether an Injuries Resolution Board assessment should be accepted or rejected.
To discuss a potential claim, contact Good & Murray Smith LLP on +353 1 7644100 or email gms@goodmurraysmith.ie.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every case depends on its own facts. If you require legal advice in relation to a personal injury claim, please contact Good & Murray Smith LLP directly.