Ms Murdock added that a judge’s interpretation of what constituted a “substantial recovery” from personal injuries under the guidelines would also have a “significant bearing” on compensation with “a risk of judges making widely varying awards of damages in respect of relatively comparable injuries”.
“They must also adopt a more robust and concerted approach in defending exaggerated and spurious claims in court, rather than settling as continues to happen. “We will have to see how they bed down over the next few months to see if any further action is needed,” he said. Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said the pay-outs overhaul will “have a lasting impact on the award of damages in personal injuries cases”.
“It’s now an imperative that we hear firm public commitments by insurance companies that Irish customers will benefit from any savings,” he warned.