InjuriesBoard.ie, the statuary organisation set up to adjudicate on personal injury claims, has published a new report revealing just how much public liability cases are costing employers, business owners and local authorities in Ireland.
The report revealed the following facts and figures about cases in 2009:
• €33 million was the total amount in public liability payouts
• 1,443 liability claims were made
• The average claim amounts to €23,143, although 57 per cent of awards granted were less than €20,000
• 72 per cent of claimants were women
• Just less than half of all awards granted went to people aged 45 or over
• Two-thirds of personal injuries reported in public areas last year were slips, trips and falls, although sprains and fractures were the most common injuries
• Just over half of incidents (51 per cent) happened in places such as shops, bars, cinemas and gyms.
What all of these statistics show is that it is important for employers and business owners to consider taking out professional insurance policies to protect themselves against the costs of public liability claims.
You can do your best to make your business safe for the public but you can’t always control when an accident is going to happen, so it’s best to look ahead and make preparations.