The Law Society has had a number of issues to deal with this year, not least the report from the Competition Authority on the legal profession, which it is currently carefully reviewing. It is also the year when Irish personal injury solicitors lost the bulk of their work with the setting up of a new body, the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB).
With effect from 22 July, 2004, all claims for damages for personal injuries in Ireland have to be submitted to a new statutory body, the PIAB, before court proceedings can be issued. The PIAB does not deal with issues of liability and will give an authorisation to issue proceedings if the respondent says that liability is being contested at this stage. In all other cases, the PIAB will review the medical reports and make a recommendation, as to quantum, with a view to early settlement of the claim. Both the claimant and respondent are free to reject the recommendation and proceed to have the matter dealt with by the courts.
