Fracture claim values
in Ireland.

• No statutory cap on general damages
  Personal injury (general)
  Bands set by PIAG; courts apply the same bands

  There is no statutory cap; the Guidelines themselves set the upper bands. The Supreme Court has indicated upper-band figures should be applied conservatively.

1. 1
   Letter of claim

   Section 8 of the Civil Liability and Courts Act 2004 requires a formal letter of claim to be served within two months of the cause of action accruing.

2. 2
   Application to PIAB

   A claimant submits Form A together with a medical report. PIAB notifies the respondent and gathers responses.

3. 3
   PIAB assessment

   PIAB makes a written assessment of damages without a contested hearing. Most cases are assessed within 9 months.

4. 4
   Acceptance or rejection

   Either side has 28 days (claimant) or 21 days (respondent) to accept or reject. Rejection results in an Authorisation to issue court proceedings.

5. 5
   Court proceedings

   If proceedings issue, they are commenced in the Circuit Court (≤€60,000) or High Court for higher-value claims.

6. 6
   Mediation and settlement

   The Mediation Act 2017 encourages mediation; many cases settle at the door of the court.

7. 7
   Trial

   Bench trial only, there is no civil jury for personal-injury actions in Ireland (Courts Act 1988).

A driver trapped for about thirty minutes after a head on collision in Cork in 2021, with a displaced fracture of the thigh bone fixed with an intramedullary nail, was awarded €123,500 in general damages and €279,191 in total. A pedestrian whose wrist was broken when a towed cow box struck him in Lisdoonvarna had damages valued at €65,000, reduced to €39,000 for his own contributory negligence.

• O’Sullivan v Ryan
  High Court · 2024
  €279,191

  On 29 January 2021, near St John’s Cemetery in Cork, the defendant’s car crossed to the wrong side and hit the plaintiff head on; she was trapped for about thirty minutes and stayed in hospital until 5 February. She had a displaced right femur fracture fixed with a locked intramedullary nail, and later PTSD. The court awarded €123,500 general damages, €29,498 past and €125,193 future special damages.

• Conway v O’Connell
  High Court · 2026
  €39,000

  In the early hours of 8 September 2019, walking into Lisdoonvarna among a crowd, the plaintiff was struck on the ankle by a cow box towed by an overtaking car and fractured his right wrist trying to stop his fall. Valuing the claim with the Book of Quantum and allowing for chronic symptoms, the court put general damages at €65,000, then deducted for his contributory negligence.

• How much is a fracture claim worth in Ireland?

  The band table on this page shows fracture values in Ireland by severity. The most severe matching band is €50,000 to €100,000, from the Personal Injuries Guidelines, Judicial Council (2021). The exact figure within the band depends on severity, prognosis, recovery time, the medical paper trail, and any percentage of fault attributed to the claimant under Ireland's comparative-fault rule.
• What is the statute of limitations for fracture claims in Ireland?

  2 years from date of injury or date of knowledge. Source: Statute of Limitations 1957, s.3 as amended. Time runs from the later of the date of injury and the date of knowledge. Time pauses while a claim is before PIAB and resumes on issue of an authorisation to proceed to court.
• Does fault allocation reduce a fracture settlement in Ireland?

  Civil Liability Act 1961, s.34, reduction by percentage of fault. No bar threshold. Reductions are calculated as a percentage of the total damages award before any cap is applied.
• Are there caps on fracture damages in Ireland?

  Yes — Ireland applies the following caps that bear on fracture claims: No statutory cap on general damages. See the caps section on this page for the figures and the conditions under which each applies.
• How long does a Ireland fracture case take to resolve?

  Soft-tissue presentations commonly resolve within 6 to 12 months from medical stability. Complex cases with surgery or contested liability routinely take 18 to 36 months. Cases that proceed to trial commonly take 2 to 5 years. The procedural pathway on this page sets out the typical milestones in Ireland.
• Is settlement preferable to trial for a fracture claim in Ireland?

  For most Ireland fracture claimants, yes. The vast majority of personal-injury cases settle before trial. Settlement provides certainty, removes appeal risk, and resolves faster. Trial is appropriate where liability is genuinely contested or where the defendant's insurer is unrealistic about quantum given the published authority.