The Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB) was established in April, 2004 as part of the Government's insurance reform programme, with the aim of allowing certain classes of personal injury claim, where liability is uncontested, to be settled without the need for the costs associated with litigation.
PIAB has changed the personal injury claims process in a wholly positive way, with claimants' waiting time reduced, on average, by more than 27 months, from 3 years under the old system to 7 months, and overheads now reduced by some €50 million per annum. Awards are made at the same levels as the Courts and according to a Book of Quantum published by PIAB in 2004.
While the content and format of the PIAB website is a day-to-day matter for the Board itself, I understand that the estimator is a visual display of the information contained in the Book of Quantum and is representative of the range of values contained therein. It is of particular benefit to claimants who may not have the same access to this information as insurance companies, who would typically be the respondents in personal injury cases.