12KBW’s David Green appeared on RTE Primetime, Ireland’s main news magazine programme, discussing reforms to whiplash claims.
There has been increasing concern about the rise of insurance premiums and “compensation culture” in Ireland, where damages awards are considerably higher than in England. Relatively minor whiplash claims can reach many tens of thousands of Euros, as opposed to a couple of thousand pounds awarded in similar cases in England.
RTE made “compensation culture”, and in particular the effect of large claims and insurance premiums on small businesses, a lead item on their Primetime show. David Green provided a comparison with the law in England, where legal reforms and the Judicial College Guidelines provide a more predictable framework for damages awards.
David said: “in my view judges have a very good sense of where to place an injury on a given set of circumstances within their bracket, and that does tend to keep injuries within a certain band: both claimants and defendants have a reasonable idea of where to pitch those injuries”.
The interview is available to view here, starting at 7:35 minutes into the broadcast.
