MOTORISTS IN counties Louth and Limerick are the most litigious in the State, according to figures produced by the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB).
In its first breakdown of awards made on a county-by-county basis, the board found motorists in Louth were 75 per cent more likely to make a claim than those in the rest of the State. The equivalent figure in Limerick was 62 per cent.
By contrast, motorists in Kilkenny were 47 per cent less likely to make a claim.
Motorists in Dublin and Cork accounted for almost 40 per cent of all claims, reflecting their share of the population, but there were wide discrepancies there too.
Motorists in Dublin were 15 per cent less likely to make a claim, but those in Cork were 30 per cent more likely to make a claim through the board.
Counties with claims above the national average included Westmeath (+32 per cent), Cavan (+27 per cent), Tipperary (+22 per cent) and Meath (+22 per cent), while the least litigious counties also included Carlow (-33 per cent), Roscommon (-34 per cent) and Waterford (-38 per cent). Chief executive of the PIAB, Patricia Byron, said the board was at a loss to explain the wide discrepancy between counties, particularly the figures relating to Louth and Limerick.
"We can't put something substantial behind this, but the fact states it is almost double in Louth against the population trend. It's the first time we have profiled like this. We can only give the facts as they are.
"We have got into a lot of meaningful data which we can use for future reference.
"The data should assist in identifying trends in motor accidents, specifically relating to location and injury types. It warrants more analysis," she said.
The board made 8,200 awards arising out of motor accidents last year, accounting for 72 per cent of all awards.
It found that women (53 per cent of claimants) were more likely than men to make a claim, reflecting historical trends that women have more accidents, though the accidents tend to be less serious.
Men secured higher average compensation of €22,140 as opposed to €21,313 for women.
The differences in the awards has been attributed to average higher earnings by men.
The highest average awards were for injuries to the lower body, most notably the pelvis, leg or foot (€28,519), but the most common award was for multiple injuries (€23,416), which accounts for 43 per cent of the total. The average for whiplash injuries was €17,637.
The highest award made by the board for a motoring injury last year was €405,711.
Motorists aged between 25 and 44 accounted for 45 per cent of all claims.
One-third of all awards were disputed by the parties involved and ended up in court.
The PIAB was set up in 2004 to deal with all personal injury claims in the State which occur in public, the workplace or on the roads.
Last year it processed 28,000 claims. About half of those were resolved between insurance companies within 90 days of being referred to the PIAB.
The board made formal awards in 8,200 cases where it was asked to assess damages, while the rest, where there is a dispute over the facts, ended up in the courts.
The board claims it delivers awards at the same level as the courts but at four times the speed (seven months against three years previously) and at 70 per cent less cost, with a saving to motorists of €40 million per annum.
