Almost half of insurance payouts in the first six months of the year were issued through the Personal Injuries Assessment Board rather than through litigation or the courts – a figure which is up from 34% for the same time the previous year.

The report from the PIAB also shows that the overall average compensation award was €14,786, nearly 40% lower than the rate before the Guidelines were introduced.

Stephen Watkins, director of corporate services for the Personal Injuries Assessment Board