Average Insurance Payouts?

SparrowHawk

Hi All,

Does anyone know of where I could find data for average insurance payouts - I was involved in an Road Traffic Accident about 1.5 years ago (run over crossing a pedestrian crossing, with a green man!). Insurance company is offering about 20k, & my solicitor seems happy with a "little" more.
Any advice, suggestions or links appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

SH

spockety

Did you have big hospital bills, or were you out of work for a long time?

SparrowHawk

Hi spockety,

no, only paid €45.00? for A & E, & employers paid me while I was out (approx. 3 weeks). No MAJOR injuries - cuts, bruises, a bit of memory loss (I don't actually remember getting hit) & a thrombophlebitis (probably not spelt right).

The reason I ask is, my brother manages a hotel & had to payout €40,000 to someone who "slipped" on a mat, & hurt their little finger! So, I thought I should investigate further.

Thanks,

SH

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Seth Brundle

daveirl wrote:

This post has been deleted.

He is currently being offered 20K - it is the 40K that he has his eyes on!

However, as nobody here is a solicitor (to my knowledge) nor can they comment on your injuries (or lack thereof) or anything else then it is rather futile.

10 few years ago I was knocked down by a speeding driver who left the scene (later came back - was near the airport and they had to drop someone off!)
However, the fúcker blamed me [yeah right - I really cycled 40m to suddenly appear in front of him!](and I know I had 0% fault) and I was left in a bad way for over 3 months [mainly head injuries] and still have shoulder pains. However, I decided to get a solicitor on the case. She was an idiot and the traffic engineer was even worse (e.g. he confused pedestrian lights with traffic lights, etc.) but anyway I got IR£5k in the end. I reckon the injuries and hassle involved was not worth the amount given.

However, I reckon I wouldn't have sued had the driver not blamed me for the incident!

SparrowHawk

yeah,

& if you were hit by a car at 35mph & thrown 15ft down the road for crossing the road - you might feel a little hard done by - I WAS LUCKY!:

I never said I was "looking" for €20,000. It was the insurance company who valued my memory loss & injuries - not me!
1. Accident was before PIAB started - hence I was using the system available to me
   
2. Insurance companies (as with most other people/ organisations) start at the lower & work their way up. Why should I accept less than the average payout, that the insurance is willing to offer, for similiar accidents?
   

Why does that disgust you?

SH

lomb

SparrowHawk wrote:

yeah,

& if you were hit by a car at 35mph & thrown 15ft down the road for crossing the road - you might feel a little hard done by - I WAS LUCKY!:

I never said I was "looking" for €20,000. It was the insurance company who valued my memory loss & injuries - not me!
1. Accident was before PIAB started - hence I was using the system available to me
   
2. Insurance companies (as with most other people/ organisations) start at the lower & work their way up. Why should I accept less than the average payout, that the insurance is willing to offer, for similiar accidents?
   

Why does that disgust you?

SH

u wont get much more as the last thing ur solicitor will want is to go to the high court, i think there is a few more grand on what u have been offered before it gets to the high court limit. u wont get 40, as ur case will be undefendable in high court without psychiatric reports etc etc. also i can assure u the company will want to settle your claim as the lawyers will get alot more than u in time especially if it gets to the high court. as i say the way it works is the insurers set a figure lets say 30, and if u go to court on the day the case will be heard, if a judge decides the payment should be 29500, u get the 29500 but u get fixed with legal costs from both sides, meaning u will owe about 45-50 grand hence u will lose money, as i say it wont get to the high court or over that limit.
however if the judge reakons ur injuries are worth 30500, the insurers will pay all the costs and give u 30500, thats how it works. having experiance of the process i can absolutely gaurantee it wont get to that point as your case cannot be defended but is at a point where they would like to settle it and close it without running up legal bills too much. i doubt it will go much more from experiance without detailed medical reports mayb another grand or 2.

damo605

About 10 years ago I was awarded about 8k IR£ for a 0% my fault accident (Muppet in a lada ran into the back of us) - At the time I felt more or less ok but was told there was damage done - The 8k I'd say barely has covered the cost of years of paying for physiotherapists and chiropractors and still have a lot of pain in my neck and upper back as I write this..... What I would do is go to a good specialist and try to find out what (if any) long term damage is done and base your claim on this. If there is no long term consequences you don't deserve much more than the 45 euro but a possible lifetime of uncomfort and/or pain and future medical expenses is something you should be compensated for.
Just my 2 cents.....

bbbbb

Don't think guidelines exist (& would be dubious about using them). You have to go with the advice of your solicitor/barrister.
If there are no long term effects & you weren't out for a long period at the time, then 20K sounds very good. Don't get too greedy now ;-)

kdevitt

bbbbb wrote:

Don't think guidelines exist

They exist for the PIAB claims, which in turn were based on average payouts through the years for Pi claims. So there should be an equivalent item in the PIAB listing which applies to your claim.

SparrowHawk

Thanks for all the replies, so far!

I'm just curious, as the €40,000 my brother mentioned, seemed excessive - & he ain't no slouch! So, I thought I'd enquire - in case the two solicitors had done "a deal" - which I've been told does happen! :eek:

I had a look at PIAB, but couldn't find anything for pedestrian accidents.

Thanks again,

SH

Our man in Havana

38,000 is the high court limit.
between 6350 and 37999 is circuit court terrority.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

lomb

daveirl wrote:

This post has been deleted.

i think people in every country are like that, its the nature of the beast, tis human nature

lomb

Bond-007 wrote:

38,000 is the high court limit.
between 6350 and 37999 is circuit court terrority.

u are probably right, my experiance is along time ago, but i do know that cases that cant be defended 20 ish is the max ballpark.

ur man prob got 37999 if he submit reports he couldnt work, pain and suffering, psychiatric problems etc, but u need alot of medical reports for that. i do know that they pay 8 or 9 for just an A and E receipt with no medical reports, tis easy money alright but someone has to pay for it, and if u are uninjured then u dont really deserve a penny other than your costs. certainly a dodgy and shady business though.

SparrowHawk

Hi All,

Thanks for all the replies - much appreciated!

I think some of you may have got the wrong end of the stick - I never said I was looking for more money - I was looking for info. on average awards (checking up on my solicitor really!) Honestly, I never actually spoke figures with my solicitor - I thought "well, if I get 5k, I'd be happy" - but I don't have any experience of these matters, so when I was offered 20k, I was very happy!

It was only when the bro. mentioned his case, I got a little wary - I wanted to make sure that I wasn't being shafted by the solicitor.

Originally Posted by lomb
and if u are uninjured then u dont really deserve a penny other than your costs

Originally Posted by daveirl
Essentially you have no reason for looking for €20,000 except you think you deserve it because others claim

A wider point in general, not just related to insurance claims....

The laws/ system in place in Ireland/ EU say that I can take a case or look for recompense. The courts, or organisation with reponsibility for regulating that sector will decide whether I have a legitimate claim, or not, & the penalities to be imposed.

It is the right of every citizen to use the systems put in place by their government- every citizen is entitled to it.

SH

lomb

SparrowHawk wrote:

It is the right of every citizen to use the systems put in place by their government- every citizen is entitled to it.

SH

indeed they are entitled but the problem is legal and medical bills amount to such a large part of a claim that the insurers will pay to get rid of a problem even if it didnt exist in the first place.

JohnCleary

I think the book of Quantom is what your looking for:

http://www.piab.ie/pdf/bookofquantum.pdf

SparrowHawk

Thanks for that JohnCleary- must have missed it!!

SH