Titled ‘Twenty Years On – The Changing Personal Injuries Environment’, the conference heard from international and Irish experts discussing the impact of reforms in the personal injuries area over the last 20 years and the challenges and opportunities for the future.

Since its establishment in 2004 as the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB), the Board has managed over 500,000 claim applications, assessed almost 180,000 claims and awarded over €4 billion to injuries parties. It has achieved €2.2 billion in accepted awards with savings of over €1.1 billion achieved in avoided litigation costs.

Keynote speaker Dara Calleary, the minister of state for trade promotion, digital and company regulation, said: “Celebrating two decades of fair and independent claims resolution in Ireland is an important milestone for the Injuries Resolution Board.

“I am pleased to be a part of their conference which provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress and achievements made in the last 20 years and of course look ahead to the future of personal injuries.

“The establishment of the Injuries Resolution Board in April 2004 represented a momentous change in claims resolution in this country. In assessing over 180,000 claims, the Injuries Resolution Board has been at the forefront of cost savings in the claims environment as well as being a key pillar of insurance reform.

“I want to continue encouraging more claimants and respondents to avail of the Injuries Resolutions Board’s services.”

Board chair Dermot Divilly added: “While we have achieved a great amount over the past two decades, the area of personal injuries remains an environment that begets us all to continue to evolve and do more to resolve claims without recourse to litigation.

“It is fitting that as we reach our 20th anniversary we do so with enhanced and expanded service provisions with the recent introduction of our new mediation service and our use of research data all underpinned by our new name which is focussed on resolution.

“It reflects the continuing change in the sector but also of the evolving value and importance of the work of the Injuries Resolution Board.”