Can a tourist in Ireland claim for a personal injury while in Ireland or should the claim be made when they return home?
‘Can a tourist in Ireland claim for a personal injury’ is a good question to ask, because it provides an opportunity to explain some of the benefits of waiting to make a compensation claim for a personal injury in Ireland.
Whether you are a foreign tourist in Ireland or an Irish citizen, you are entitled to make a claim for personal injury compensation if you have sustained an injury in an accident for which you were not primarily to blame.
The procedures for making a claim for a personal injury to a tourist are exactly the same as if you were a resident of the Republic and involve submitting an application for assessment to the Injuries Board, who will then calculate the value of your compensation claim for a personal injury in Ireland and, provided both you and the person responsible for your injuries agree on the figure, will issue an “Order to Pay”.
Whether you should commence the procedure for making a claim for a personal injury to a tourist now or later is going to depend on the circumstances of your accident and how your injuries have affected your quality of life.
If there is any doubt that liability for your accident will be accepted by the negligent party, you should refrain from submitting an application to the Injuries Board and speak with a solicitor about your accident, in order that the solicitor may collect evidence of negligence in case your claim has to be resolved in court.
Similarly, if all the consequences if your injury have not yet manifested (which is unlikely as you may not appreciate the limitations your injuries place upon you until you return home), any assessment made by the Injuries Board on the information you are able to provide to them at this time is likely to be incomplete and result in an under-settlement of your claim for a personal injury to a tourist.
Therefore, in answer to the question ‘Can a tourist in Ireland claim for a personal injury while in Ireland’, the answer in theory is ‘yes’, but in practice a more accurate settlement of your compensation claim for a personal injury in Ireland is likely to be achieved once the full consequences of your injury are known.
Nonetheless, it would be advisable to speak with an Irish solicitor while you are still in Ireland and get advice about the best way of managing your claim for a personal injury to a tourist. The solicitor will be able to advise you on the best course of action in relation to your personal situation and, if it is not certain that consent will be given for an assessment of your claim, start compiling a case on your behalf.