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Personal Injury — Letter of Claim

We check the 2-year time limit, the letter-of-claim window and the Injuries Resolution Board step, then draft the section 8 letter of claim. We do not put a value on the injury.

Injured person (claimant)
Wrongdoer (respondent)
The incident

Personal injury — your process

A personal-injury claim runs through the Injuries Resolution Board before any court, and it is on a strict clock. Here is the route.

  1. 1

    Mind the 2-year time limit

    2 years

    You generally have 2 years from the injury — or from the date you first knew of it — to bring a claim. Miss it and the claim can be statute-barred. (Statute of Limitations (Amendment) Act 1991, s.3)

  2. 2

    Serve a letter of claim

    2 months

    A letter of claim should be served on the wrongdoer within 2 months of the injury; late service can be taken into account on costs. This tool drafts that letter. (Civil Liability and Courts Act 2004, s.8)

  3. 3

    Apply to the Injuries Resolution Board

    before court

    You must apply to the Injuries Resolution Board (formerly PIAB) before any court proceedings can be brought — and applying pauses the 2-year clock.

  4. 4

    Valuation

    General damages are assessed under the Personal Injuries Guidelines by the Board or a solicitor. This tool never puts a figure on an injury.

General information from Irish law — not legal advice, and not a prediction of any outcome. Injury time limits are strict and fact-specific, so confirm yours and speak to a solicitor. More at injuries.ie.