Insurance

Legal costs in motor insurance claims rose slightly to €112 million in 2018, according to new figures from the Central Bank of Ireland. In total, there were legal costs of €112,275,745 in 2018 in relation to 4,714 claims taken through the courts.

Major reforms to insurance contracts aimed at making them fairer for consumers have been approved by the Oireachtas. The Consumer Insurance Contracts Bill 2017, introduced as a private member's bill by Sinn Féin finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty TD, is now expected to be signed into law by

New figures have "shone a statistical searchlight on the false and exaggerated claims of the Irish motor insurance industry", the Law Society of Ireland has said. The Central Bank of Ireland yesterday published figures showing that premiums increased by 42 per cent between 2009 and 2018, despite the

Average motor insurance premiums increased by 42 per cent between 2009 and 2018, despite the cost of claims per policy decreasing by 2.5 per cent over the same period, according to new Central Bank of Ireland figures. The bank's first annual Private Motor Insurance Report of the National Claims Info

Three new partners have joined BLM in Dublin in the firm's largest round of partner promotions since it established its office in the Irish capital in 2012. Sinead Connolly, Olivia Treston and Garrett Cormican span all business streams across the firm's Dublin office, which now employs over 40 peopl

Gardaí are planning a number of raids on solicitors' offices as part of a crackdown on insurance fraud, according to reports. According to The Irish Times, the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) is planning to lead a number of "days of action", consisting of raids on the homes of su

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has commenced a market study into the public liability insurance sector in Ireland. The competition watchdog announced the move following a ministerial request from the Minister for Business, Enterprise, and Innovation, Heather Humphreys.

Barrister Damien McShane has been appointed to the Health Insurance Authority by Health Minister Simon Harris for a three-year term. The authority, established in 2001 as the statutory regulator of the private health insurance market, regularly advises the health minister on matters relating to heal

The Law Society of Ireland has commended a Sinn Féin TD for "exposing the soaring super-profits" of insurance companies, who have blamed high insurance premiums on fraudulent personal injury claims. Pearse Doherty, Sinn Féin's finance spokesperson, challenged representatives of major i

Judges and lawyers will be asked to explain the high costs of compensation claims as TDs attempt to find out the reasons for costly insurance premiums faced by consumers, the Irish Examiner reports. Insurance companies told the Oireachtas Finance Committee that fraudulent claims comprised some

Rossa McMahon, solicitor at PG McMahon Solicitors, responds to recent comments about personal injury claims and the impact on insurance costs. Pat McDonagh has made, as ever, some interesting points about personal injury cases. He is absolutely right that insurance premiums have risen in recent year

Belfast-based insurance specialist practice Caldwell Warner is set to become part of UK law firm Keoghs. The merger is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to complete this summer, the firms said.

Legislation to toughen penalties for making fraudulent claims in the Irish courts will skip pre-legislative scrutiny and go straight to committee stage. The Oireachtas business committee has agreed to allow the Civil Liability and Courts (Amendment) Bill 2019, which was brought forward by Fianna F&a

More insurance fraudsters need to be prosecuted to deter others from pursuing exaggerated and fraudulent claims, a partner at Ronan Daly Jermyn has said. Over 200 insurance professionals attended the firm's annual insurance conference in Dublin, which heard from keynote speakers including Detective

Personal injury awards in the Irish courts are driving a "compo culture" in Ireland, the Government minister with special responsibility for insurance has said. Minister of state Michael D'Arcy said awards in the District Court and Circuit Court were too high and that "recalibration" would not be po