Injuries Board & Personal Injuries Book of Quantum
The Personal Injuries Book of Quantum 2012 is a guide that has been used by the Injuries Board and the Irish Courts when assessing personal injury compensation claims since 2004.
The injuries Board handles vehicle and workplace accident claims, and those which happen in public places but does not deal with cases that involve medical negligence. Before any court action is pursued, all of these kinds of claims must first be assessed by the Injuries Board.
Explaining the Book of Quantum
The Personal Injuries Book of Quantum 2012 provides an extensive list of potential injuries that can be sustained in an accident, which are subdivided into categories and then assigned a financial value based on the injury’s severity and how long it takes to recover — if ever. The values displayed are quite wide and are subject to alteration to include the plaintiff’s age, sex and state of health before the accident occurred.
Potential Pitfalls of the Book of Quantum
Although the Personal injuries Book of Quantum 2012 has played its part in reducing the time spent on assessing personal injury claims, it must be noted that in some regards, it is not a completely precise guide as to the amount of compensation a plaintiff may be eligible for, especially when consideration is not given to the fact that the same injury can have different effects on different people or some people may suffer multiple injuries.
It is also difficult to evaluate the correct value of all parts of a plaintiff’s claim by referring only to the Book of Quantum, since attention should also be given to other elements such as medical costs, psychological trauma, loss of amenity and loss of income.
There are also many cases where the Book of Quantum does not suggest an appropriate amount of compensation. Take work-related repetitive strain injuries, for example, where many of these types of injuries cannot possibly be referred to as broken “this” or dislocated “that”.
Additionally, supposing a plaintiff had a pre-existing disability before the exact, such as blindness in one eye, and they were involved in an accident where they lost sight in their other eye. The Book of Quantum would only evaluate the damage sustained in the accident and will not compensate for the complete vision loss.
Engaging with a Solicitor
If you believe that you have a potential personal injury compensation claim, you would be well advised to seek the advice of an experienced solicitor who would be able to help you complete the process for application to the Injuries Board and ensure that the application form is correctly filled out, that an appropriate medical report is commissioned and that the application is filed within the time period.
Another factor for using the services of a solicitor is that he or she would be able to establish whether or not the compensation amount recommended by the Injuries Board is a sufficient evaluation of the compensation that you should receive, given the circumstances of your case. Your solicitor could advise you to reject the figure and initiate court action if they believe that the amount offered is too low.
Personal Injuries Book of Quantum 2012: Summary
It is unrealistic to expect the Personal Injuries Book of Quantum 2012 to be completely comprehensive in encompassing every kind and degree of injury. We know that it can be vague and imprecise with regard to the extent of a plaintiff’s injuries and it has numerous omissions, which can lead to instances where the publication fails to offer an appropriate level of personal injury compensation.
No two cases are identical — even when injuries sustained are the same — and if you have recently suffered an injury that was due to another party’s negligence and believe that you may have a viable personal injury claim, it is recommended that you talk to a solicitor at the earliest possible moment.