Madam, - With reference to the opinion piece by Paul Cullen in your edition of March 9th, I would like to point out that an injured person can deal directly with the Personal Injuries Assessment Board, an independent State agency, or use a solicitor at their own cost. However, every personal injury claim has to go to the PIAB.
The PIAB decides how much money the injured person gets on the basis of recent court awards, so the amount of money the injured person gets is the same as it would be from a court. After the case has gone through the PIAB, a claimant has the right to reject the award and commence court proceedings. Some claims (e.g. those that are wholly psychological) are not the business of the PIAB and are released straight away. - Yours, etc,
STEPHEN WATKINS, Director of Corporate Services, PIAB, Clonakilty, Co Cork.