The Injuries Board is also known as the Personal Injuries Assessment Board.
The clue is in the name; it assesses the claims of people who have suffered personal injury. Strictly speaking we at McGarr Solicitors do exactly the same. If you want to find out what the “going rate” is to compensate you for a personal injury you can ask the Injuries Board, or, you can ask us.
The answer to the question comes from the same root source; it is an estimate of the sum of money a judge would give you if you issue proceedings for your personal injury claim.
Of course, we, and the Injuries Board, are each making an educated guess. In fact the only certain way of finding out what a judge will give you for your injury is to go to trial before the judge.
Here at McGarr Solicitors we do not make “awards” of damages for personal injury claims. We do not have that power. We do not claim to have that power.
However, neither does the Injuries Board have that power, even though they tell the unsophisticated members of the press that they do have that power.
They cannot compel a Respondent (the person who has injured the person applying to the Injuries Board) to make a payment to an applicant, unless the Respondent agrees to make payment.
At McGarr Solicitors we can do the same. (We do not claim any great credit for this; we cannot do it alone, but neither can the Injuries Board).
At McGarr Solicitors, when a Respondent refuses, or neglects, to engage with the Injuries Board we take steps to bring the Respondent to account. The Injuries Board cannot and will not do this.
We do it by issuing court proceedings for the applicant.