Back Injury Claim After a Fall: Public Liability Compensation in Ireland

This information is for educational purposes only and doesn't constitute legal advice. Every case is different and outcomes vary. Consult a qualified solicitor for advice specific to your situation.

Summary: You can claim compensation for a back injury caused by a fall on someone else's premises in Ireland. The occupier owes you a duty of care under the Occupiers' Liability Act 1995.¹ Your claim goes to the Injuries Resolution Board (IRB)² before any court proceedings can start. General damages for back injuries range from roughly €500 for minor soft tissue strains to over €92,000 for severe disc or vertebral damage, as set by the Personal Injuries Guidelines 2021.³ You have two years from the fall, or from when you first knew the injury was significant, to begin your claim.

Scope: This page covers back injuries from falls in public places, shops, hotels, restaurants, and other premises under the Occupiers' Liability Act 1995. It does not cover workplace back injuries (employer's liability) or back injuries from road traffic accidents (motor liability), which operate under different legal frameworks.

Contents

Legal basis: Occupiers' Liability Act 1995, s.3 (duty of care to visitors). Section 3

Time limit: 2 years from the fall or from date of knowledge.²

Compensation: €500 to €92,000+ general damages depending on severity. Guidelines 2021 (PDF)

First step: All claims must go through the IRB before court. IRB rules

What is a back injury claim after a fall?

A back injury claim after a fall is a public liability claim for compensation when you hurt your back because of a hazard on someone else's property. The property could be a supermarket, restaurant, hotel, footpath, car park, shopping centre, or any premises open to the public. The claim is made against the occupier of that premises or their insurer.

A public liability back injury claim sits within a specific legal framework. The occupier owes you a statutory duty of care under the Occupiers' Liability Act 1995. To succeed, you must show three things: a danger existed on the premises, the occupier failed to take reasonable care to prevent it, and that danger caused your fall and back injury. This is different from a workplace back injury claim, which falls under employer's liability and different regulations.

Back injuries are the most common type of injury reported in Irish premises incidents. The Health and Safety Authority's 2023-2024 annual review confirmed that the back was the most frequently injured body part, accounting for 18% of all non-fatal incidents reported in 2024.⁴ While that statistic covers workplace injuries specifically, the same injury patterns occur in public liability falls on hard commercial surfaces.

Types of back injuries caused by falls on premises

Not all back injuries are equal, and the type you sustain affects both the medical treatment you need and the compensation bracket your claim falls into. The mechanics of a fall on a hard commercial surface produce specific injury patterns that an orthopaedic consultant will identify.

Soft tissue sprains and strains are the most common. Muscles and ligaments in the lower back stretch or tear during impact. Pain is localised, sometimes intense, but usually resolves within weeks to months with physiotherapy and rest. These injuries fall into the minor brackets of the Personal Injuries Guidelines 2021.

Disc injuries range from a mild bulge to a full herniation where the inner nucleus pushes through the outer annulus and presses on spinal nerves. The most common locations are L4-L5 and L5-S1, which account for approximately 95% of lumbar disc herniations.⁵ A herniated disc can cause sciatica, numbness, and weakness in the legs. These injuries often require surgical intervention and fall into the moderate to severe brackets.

Vertebral compression fractures occur when the force of a fall crushes a vertebra. These are more common in older adults with reduced bone density but can happen to anyone after a high-impact fall onto a hard surface such as a concrete footpath or tiled shop floor. They cause acute pain, height loss, and potentially long-term spinal instability.

Facet joint injuries develop when the small joints connecting each vertebra are damaged by the twisting or hyperextension forces of an unexpected fall. These injuries cause chronic localised pain that worsens with certain movements and can persist for years.

Nerve root irritation and radiculopathy occur when displaced disc material, bone fragments, or swelling presses against a spinal nerve root. This produces pain, tingling, or weakness radiating into the legs. The location of the nerve compression determines the exact pattern of symptoms.

The Three-Point Fall Impact Assessment

The type of back injury you sustain depends on three connected factors: how you fell, where the impact struck your body, and what surface you landed on. We call this the Three-Point Fall Impact Assessment. Understanding these connections helps explain why certain falls produce certain injuries and why the medical evidence in your claim must address all three.

A backward slip on a wet supermarket floor, for example, typically sends the body's weight straight down through the sacrum and lower spine. This axial compression force can crack vertebrae or cause sudden disc herniation at L4-L5 or L5-S1. A forward trip over an uneven surface produces a different pattern: the body twists as it tries to arrest the fall, generating torsional forces through the lumbar spine that stretch ligaments and strain disc walls. This Three-Point Fall Impact Assessment connects the physical event to the medical diagnosis, and your solicitor can use it to align the medical evidence with the incident report.

How back injuries from falls are valued in Ireland

The Injuries Resolution Board (IRB), formerly the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB), and the courts assess back injury compensation using the Personal Injuries Guidelines 2021. These Guidelines replaced the Book of Quantum in April 2021 and were confirmed as constitutionally valid by the Supreme Court in Delaney v PIAB [2024].⁶

Below are the current brackets for general damages (pain and suffering) for back injuries. These are not fixed awards. Each case varies based on the claimant's age, the specific injury, recovery trajectory, impact on daily life, and quality of medical evidence.³

Personal Injuries Guidelines 2021: back injury general damages brackets

Severity	Clinical description	General damages range
Minor (i)	Soft tissue strain or sprain. Full recovery within six months.	€500 to €3,000
Minor (ii)	Soft tissue injury. Substantial recovery within six months to two years.	€3,000 to €12,000
Minor (iii)	Soft tissue injury requiring two to five years for substantial recovery. May involve minor surgery.	€12,000 to €20,000
Moderate (i)	Ligament or muscle disturbance causing prolonged pain. Exacerbation of a pre-existing condition lasting more than five years.	€20,000 to €35,000
Moderate (ii)	Disc lesions or mechanical injuries causing chronic conditions. May require spinal surgery.	€35,000 to €55,000
Severe	Disc lesions requiring surgery with ongoing disability. Vertebral fractures causing instability. Chronic pain syndrome.	€50,000 to €92,000+

Source: Personal Injuries Guidelines 2021.³ Awards vary case by case. The most severe back injuries, falling short of complete paralysis, can attract higher awards. The maximum general damages cap under Irish law is €550,000.

What your recovery timeline means for your claim

The Guidelines link back injury brackets directly to how long recovery takes. If your consultant says you'll make a full recovery within six months, your claim sits in Minor (i): €500 to €3,000. If recovery takes six months to two years, that's Minor (ii): €3,000 to €12,000. A two-to-five-year recovery timeline puts you in Minor (iii): €12,000 to €20,000. Once recovery extends beyond five years or the condition becomes permanent, you cross into the Moderate brackets. This is why the timing of your medical report matters. A report written three months after the fall that says "still recovering" tells the IRB far less than one written at twelve months that says "substantial recovery achieved" or "permanent deficit likely."

Compensation for back injuries in Ireland is also exempt from income tax. You receive the full award. This applies to both general damages and special damages, whether the claim settles through the IRB or through the courts.

Quick guide: injury type to likely bracket

If your back injury is a soft tissue strain that resolved within a few months, expect the Minor (i) bracket: €500 to €3,000. If you have a confirmed disc herniation on MRI but haven't needed surgery, your claim typically falls into Moderate (i): €20,000 to €35,000. If you've had spinal surgery and still have ongoing pain or restricted movement, the Moderate (ii) to Severe range applies: €35,000 to €92,000 or more. If you had a pre-existing back condition that the fall made permanently worse, the eggshell skull rule means the occupier is liable for the full worsened condition, and your claim moves into the Moderate brackets regardless of the pre-existing issue.

The brackets above cover general damages only. Special damages are assessed separately and cover out-of-pocket losses: medical bills, physiotherapy costs, travel to appointments, prescription charges, and lost earnings during recovery. There is no cap on special damages.

The average IRB award across all personal injury claims in the second half of 2024 was €23,877, a 4% increase on the previous period.⁸ The average for minor soft tissue back and neck injuries was lower, around €9,400. These figures reflect the reality that most public liability back injury claims involve minor to moderate injuries. The high five-figure and six-figure awards reported in newspapers are real but uncommon, typically involving disc surgery with ongoing disability or vertebral fractures with long-term instability.

In our experience handling public liability back injury claims in Dublin, the single biggest factor separating a minor award from a moderate one is objective imaging. A claimant who reports chronic pain but has no MRI showing disc damage will almost always be assessed within the minor brackets. A claimant with identical symptoms but a confirmed L4-L5 herniation on MRI moves into the moderate range.

Proving your claim: evidence specific to back injuries

Back injury claims require specific evidence that goes beyond general personal injury proof. You need to establish three things: the hazard existed, the occupier failed in their duty, and the fall caused your particular back injury. The third element is where back injury claims diverge from other injury types. For a full guide to the general evidence framework, see how to prove a public liability claim.

Medical evidence is the foundation. Your GP's initial notes matter because they record your symptoms close to the date of the fall. An orthopaedic consultant's report then classifies the injury against the Personal Injuries Guidelines brackets. For any claim above the minor soft tissue bracket, objective imaging is effectively essential.

MRI is the gold standard for disc injuries. It confirms disc herniation, nerve root compression, and soft tissue damage that X-rays cannot show. Timing matters. An MRI taken too early (within the first few days) may miss developing inflammation. An MRI taken months later risks the defence arguing that the visible changes are degenerative rather than traumatic. The practical window is typically four to eight weeks after the fall, though your consultant will advise based on your symptoms.

X-rays and CT scans are used for suspected fractures. X-rays are first-line and available in most emergency departments. CT scans provide more detailed bone imaging and are the preferred study when a compression fracture is suspected.⁵

Premises evidence is equally important. CCTV footage showing the hazard and your fall is powerful, but commercial systems typically overwrite within 14 to 30 days. You or your solicitor should request preservation immediately. The incident report book or accident log is another time-sensitive record. Ask the premises manager to log the fall before you leave, or return as soon as possible to make sure it is recorded.

A common mistake we see is claimants who tell the A&E doctor about their pain but don't mention the fall. The medical notes then read as a general back complaint rather than a trauma-related injury. When the defence reviews those records months later, the absence of any mention of a fall on premises weakens the causation argument. Always connect the symptoms to the specific incident.

The first 48 hours after a fall on premises

What you do in the two days after a fall shapes the strength of your back injury claim. These are the steps that protect your position.

1) Report the fall to the premises manager or duty staff. Ask them to record it in the accident report book. Note the name of the person you reported to. If you are in too much pain to do this immediately, return within 24 hours or ask someone with you to report it on your behalf.

2) Photograph the hazard. Take clear photos of the wet floor, uneven surface, broken step, or whatever caused the fall. Include wide shots showing the absence of warning signs or barriers. Photograph your injuries too. If you cannot do this yourself, ask someone nearby.

3) See a doctor within 24 hours. Go to your GP or an emergency department. Tell the doctor explicitly that you fell on premises and describe the mechanics of the fall. The medical records from this visit become foundational evidence. If back pain appears minor at first, say so, but make sure the fall is documented.

4) Request CCTV preservation. Ask the premises in writing (email or text message) to preserve CCTV footage from the time of your fall. You can also make a data access request under the GDPR, which the premises must respond to within 30 days.

5) Collect witness details. If anyone saw your fall, take their name and phone number. Independent witnesses who can describe the hazard and your reaction carry significant weight.

6) Keep a pain diary. Record your symptoms, what you cannot do, and how the injury affects your daily routine. This contemporaneous record supports your claim for pain and suffering months or years later.

7) Send a Section 8 letter within one month. Under Section 8 of the Civil Liability and Courts Act 2004¹⁵ (as amended in 2019), you should give the occupier written notice of your intention to claim within one month of the fall. The deadline was reduced from two months to one month in January 2019 to align with CCTV retention periods. Missing it won't automatically bar your claim, but the court must draw inferences from the failure and may penalise you on costs.

The inspection system question

In public liability back injury claims, the occupier's inspection system is often the decisive issue. Courts want to know how the premises was maintained before your fall. Did the shop have a scheduled floor-check protocol? How often were inspections carried out? Were cleaning logs maintained, and what do they show?

A supermarket that checks its aisles every 15 minutes and logs each check is in a stronger position than one with no documented system. If a spill caused your fall and the cleaning log shows a 45-minute gap between inspections, that gap itself becomes evidence of a breach of duty. Your solicitor can request these records through pre-trial discovery or as part of the IRB process. The 2023 amendments to the Occupiers' Liability Act make this even more relevant, since courts must now consider the "practicability and cost of precautions" the occupier could have taken.

How the Occupiers' Liability Act 1995 applies to back injury claims

When you fall and injure your back on someone else's premises, the legal framework is the Occupiers' Liability Act 1995, as amended by the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023.¹

Section 3 of the 1995 Act imposes a common duty of care on the occupier towards visitors. The occupier must take such care as is reasonable in all the circumstances to ensure a visitor does not suffer injury by reason of any danger existing on the premises.⁹

The 2023 amendments introduced specific factors that courts must now consider when assessing whether the occupier met that duty. These factors are: the probability of a danger existing, the probability of injury from it, the likely severity, the practicability and cost of precautions, and the social utility of the activity creating the risk.¹⁰

A new Section 5A, introduced by the 2023 amendments, provides that an occupier does not owe a duty in respect of risks willingly accepted by a visitor who is capable of understanding the risk. A written waiver is no longer needed. A visitor's own words or conduct can demonstrate acceptance of risk.¹⁰ This is a significant change that strengthens the occupier's defence in certain situations.

For a back injury claim to succeed, you must prove a danger existed on the premises, you suffered a back injury as a result of that danger, and the occupier did not take reasonable care to prevent it. The strength of your claim depends on whether the hazard was something the occupier knew about, should have known about, or created.

Usual danger vs unusual danger: a test that matters

Irish courts distinguish between "usual" and "unusual" dangers on premises. This distinction, drawn from the Court of Appeal decision in Lavin v Dublin Airport Authority plc [2016] IECA 268, is central to many back injury claims after falls.

A usual danger is a risk inherent to the premises that an adult visitor should anticipate and take care to avoid. A staircase is a usual danger. Walking down stairs carries an inherent risk of falling, and a reasonable adult is expected to use the handrail and watch their step.

An unusual danger is a defect, hazard, or condition that a visitor wouldn't reasonably expect. An unsecured handrail that gives way when used is an unusual danger. A wet floor in a supermarket aisle without a warning sign may be an unusual danger. A broken paving slab concealed by leaves on a hotel pathway is an unusual danger.

In Byrne v Ardenheath Company Ltd [2017] IECA 293, the Court of Appeal overturned a High Court award where the claimant had slipped in a car park. The claimant had taken a shortcut down a grassy slope in wet conditions wearing unsuitable footwear. The Court found this was a usual danger that the claimant should have anticipated. Justice Irvine stated that adult members of society are obliged to take care for their own safety and cannot transfer responsibility for their actions to an occupier.¹¹

For your back injury claim, the question is whether the hazard that caused your fall was a usual danger you should have avoided, or an unusual danger the occupier should have prevented.

The IRB process for back injury claims

All public liability back injury claims in Ireland must be submitted to the Injuries Resolution Board before court proceedings can begin. This is a legal requirement under the Personal Injuries Resolution Board Act 2022.²

1) You apply to the IRB with a completed application form, your medical report, and details of the fall. The fee is €45 online or €90 by post. The IRB issues a Section 50 letter confirming receipt. This letter pauses your two-year limitation clock while your claim is being assessed.

2) The respondent has 90 days to confirm whether they consent to the IRB assessing the claim or whether they decline. If they decline, the IRB issues an Authorisation allowing you to go to court.

3) If they consent, the IRB assesses your claim. The standard assessment period is nine months, though extensions are possible. During this period, you may be sent for an independent medical examination (IME) by the IRB's own doctor. This isn't your GP or consultant. It's an independent examiner who reports directly to the IRB. The exam typically takes 20 to 40 minutes. Be honest about what you can and can't do. Bring a list of your symptoms and current medications. The examiner's findings carry significant weight in the assessment.

4) The IRB issues a Notice of Assessment with a proposed compensation figure. Both you and the respondent can accept or reject it. If both accept, the claim settles. If either party rejects it, you receive an Authorisation to take court proceedings.

Since 2024, the IRB also offers a free mediation service for public liability claims. A trained mediator works with both parties to reach an agreed settlement without a court hearing. Mediation is voluntary, and you can leave the process at any time. Early data shows mediation resolves claims in an average of three months, much faster than the standard assessment pathway.²

In practice, back injury claims through the IRB typically take 9 to 15 months from application to assessment. Claims involving disc damage or requiring specialist orthopaedic reports tend toward the longer end because the medical evidence takes more time to finalise. We typically advise clients not to rush the medical report. A premature report that says "recovery is ongoing" is less useful than a report issued once the consultant can give a firm prognosis.

What IRB data tells us about public liability back claims

The IRB's H2 2024 Award Values Report provides data specific to public liability claims. The median public liability award was €13,660, down 34% from 2020 pre-Guidelines levels. Public liability accounts for 18% of all IRB assessments. The highest public liability award in 2024 was €174,719. Overall, public liability claim volumes are down 40% compared to 2019, though they remained unchanged between 2023 and 2024.⁸

A critical data point for anyone deciding whether to accept an IRB assessment or proceed to court: Central Bank data shows that the average compensation from an IRB award (€25,484) is almost identical to the average compensation from a litigated settlement (€25,934). The difference is cost. Average legal fees for an IRB-resolved case are €694. Average legal fees for a litigated case are €25,055.¹⁶ That means litigation roughly doubles the total cost of the process while producing nearly the same compensation. There are cases where litigation is the right choice, particularly when liability is disputed or when the IRB assessment undervalues a severe injury. But the data shows that for most back injury claims, the IRB route delivers equivalent compensation at a fraction of the cost.

Accepting or rejecting the IRB assessment

The accept-or-reject decision is often the most important moment in a back injury claim. In a publicly reported 2025 case, a woman fell in a supermarket, injuring her back, shoulder, and knee. The IRB assessed the claim at €16,302. Her solicitor believed this undervalued the injuries and proceeded to court. The case settled for €140,000. That outcome illustrates when rejecting an IRB assessment is the right call: the claimant had severe injuries requiring surgery, and the IRB assessment fell well below the appropriate Guidelines bracket.

As a general framework: consider accepting the assessment when your injury is minor, the figure falls within the correct Guidelines bracket, and you want a fast resolution. Consider rejecting it when the assessment is clearly below the bracket for your injury severity. Strong medical evidence of structural damage or a disputed liability finding also favours proceeding to court. Your solicitor can advise based on the specific facts of your case.

If you reject the assessment and proceed to court, back injury claims up to €60,000 in general damages are heard in the Circuit Court. Claims above €60,000 go to the High Court. Court proceedings typically add two to four years to the process. From the date of your fall to final resolution, a contested back injury claim that goes through IRB and then to court can take three to five years in total.

Contributory negligence: when fault is shared

The occupier's legal team will almost always examine your own conduct before and during the fall. Under Section 34(1) of the Civil Liability Act 1961, a court can reduce your award by whatever proportion it considers just and equitable based on your degree of fault.¹²

Common contributory negligence arguments in back injury fall claims include: wearing high heels or unsuitable footwear on a slippery surface, using a mobile phone while walking, ignoring posted warning signs, rushing or running, and being under the influence of alcohol. These arguments don't automatically defeat your claim. They may reduce the award. A court could find that the occupier was 70% at fault and you were 30% at fault, reducing your compensation by 30%.

Being honest about your own actions is important. Under Section 26 of the Civil Liability and Courts Act 2004, giving false or misleading evidence can result in your entire claim being dismissed.¹³ Insurance companies routinely conduct covert surveillance on back injury claimants. If you report severe limitations but are filmed carrying shopping bags, gardening, or exercising, the contradiction will be used against you. Report your capabilities honestly. If you have good days and bad days, say so.

Pre-existing back conditions and the eggshell skull rule

Many adults over 35 have some degree of degenerative disc disease visible on MRI, even without symptoms. If you fall on premises and your back injury is worse than it might have been because of a pre-existing condition, the occupier still bears full liability. This is the eggshell skull rule: the defendant takes the claimant as they find them.

Irish courts recognise two distinct situations. Exacerbation means the fall permanently worsened a condition that would otherwise have remained stable. The occupier is liable for the full extent of the worsened condition. Acceleration means the fall brought forward symptoms that would have developed eventually. The occupier is liable for the accelerated period only.

Defence teams routinely argue pre-existing degeneration. The strongest response is GP records from before the fall showing no complaints about back pain, combined with post-fall MRI showing acute traumatic changes alongside the degenerative ones. An orthopaedic consultant's report should explicitly address whether the fall caused new injury, exacerbated existing degeneration, or both.

Delayed back pain after a fall

Back injuries from falls don't always produce immediate symptoms. Adrenaline can mask pain for hours. Disc herniation can develop gradually as a weakened disc wall gives way over days or weeks. Inflammation builds progressively.

If your back pain appeared days or weeks after a fall on premises, you can still claim. The two-year limitation period may run from the "date of knowledge" rather than the date of the fall itself. The date of knowledge is when you first knew, or should reasonably have known, that your injury was significant and attributable to the fall.

The important step is to see your GP as soon as symptoms appear and tell them clearly that you believe the pain is connected to a specific fall on a specific date. This medical record creates the link between the fall and the delayed injury. Without it, establishing causation becomes significantly harder.

Multiple injuries from a single fall

Falls rarely produce a single injury. You might hurt your back and your wrist, or your back and your knee. The Personal Injuries Guidelines contain a specific direction on how multiple injuries are assessed.³

The IRB and courts identify the dominant (most severe) injury first and value it within its bracket. They then apply a proportional uplift to account for the lesser concurrent injuries. You can't simply add the maximum values of each injury bracket together. This approach prevents overcompensation while acknowledging that multiple injuries cause more suffering than a single injury alone.

For example, if your primary injury is a moderate disc herniation valued at €40,000 and you also sustained a minor wrist fracture, the assessor will not add the wrist bracket on top. They will uplift the €40,000 figure to account for the additional pain and recovery time caused by the wrist injury.

Psychological effects can also form part of a multiple-injury assessment. A serious back injury after a fall can trigger anxiety about falling, depression linked to reduced mobility, or sleep disturbance from chronic pain. The Personal Injuries Guidelines include separate brackets for psychological injuries, and a psychiatric report can support an uplift to your award. For more on this, see our page on psychological injury claims.

Where do these falls happen?

Back injury claims from falls on premises arise across a wide range of locations in Ireland. In Dublin, we commonly handle claims involving falls in city centre shopping centres, on uneven footpaths in areas like O'Connell Street and Grafton Street, and in restaurants and hotels across the Greater Dublin Area.

If you fell in a supermarket or shop, the key evidence is the store's cleaning and inspection log. Large retailers typically have a scheduled floor-check system. If the log shows a gap, that gap itself proves the system failed. CCTV in retail premises is usually high quality. Act fast to preserve it. Your claim falls squarely within the Occupiers' Liability Act 1995 framework.

If you fell on a public footpath or in a car park, your claim may be against a local authority or a private car park operator. Local authorities in Ireland have faced significant liability for footpath defects. Your evidence priorities are photographs of the defect, measurement of any height difference or pothole, and confirmation of who maintains the area. See our pages on uneven surface claims and car park accident claims.

If you fell in a hotel or restaurant, the occupier is the business operator. Common hazards include wet floors near entrances, poorly lit stairways, loose carpeting, and uneven thresholds between rooms. Hotels and restaurants carry public liability insurance for exactly these incidents. See our pages on hotel accident claims and restaurant accident claims.

Time limits for back injury claims after a fall

The standard limitation period is two years from the date of the fall. This is set by the Statute of Limitations Act 1957 (as amended). For a full analysis of how time limits work in public liability claims, see time limits for public liability claims.

When symptoms develop later, the date of knowledge exception applies. If you did not know, and could not reasonably have known, that you had a significant back injury connected to the fall until a later date, the two-year clock starts from that later date.

Delay is dangerous. In Murphy v Aer Lingus Group & Anor [2025], the High Court dismissed a personal injury claim due to inordinate and inexcusable delay. The court emphasised that prolonged inactivity causes inherent prejudice in claims requiring oral testimony about how an accident happened.¹⁴

This is Irish law, not UK law

Several pages that rank for "back injury claim after fall" on Google.ie cover Northern Ireland or England and Wales law. If you were injured in the Republic of Ireland, those pages do not apply to you. Key differences that could mislead you include the following.

Ireland vs UK: key differences in back injury claims

Issue	Ireland	UK (England/Wales/NI)
Time limit	2 years	3 years (England/Wales/NI)
Compensation framework	Personal Injuries Guidelines 2021	Judicial College Guidelines (E/W) or Green Book (NI)
Currency	Euro (€)	Sterling (£)
Claims body	Injuries Resolution Board (IRB)	No equivalent mandatory body
Occupiers' liability	Occupiers' Liability Act 1995 (as amended 2023)	Occupiers' Liability Act 1957/1984 (E/W)

This page covers back injury claims under Irish law only. If your fall occurred in Northern Ireland, England, Wales, or Scotland, different legislation, time limits, and compensation frameworks apply.

What to do now

If you've injured your back in a fall on someone else's premises in Ireland, you don't need to work out the legal details alone. The first step is a case assessment where a solicitor reviews the facts of your fall, the nature of your back injury, and the evidence available.

Gary Matthews Solicitors handles public liability back injury claims on a No Win No Fee basis. We manage the IRB application, gather medical and premises evidence, and handle negotiations or court proceedings if needed. Contact us on 01 903 6408 or request a free case assessment through our website. We're available seven days a week.

Common questions about back injury claims after falls

References

1. Occupiers' Liability Act 1995. Irish Statute Book.
2. Injuries Resolution Board. Citizens Information. Accessed April 2026.
3. Personal Injuries Guidelines. Judicial Council of Ireland. Commenced 24 April 2021.
4. Annual Review of Workplace Injuries, Illnesses and Fatalities 2023-2024. Health and Safety Authority. Published December 2025.
5. Lumbar Disc Herniation. StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf. Updated August 2023.
6. Rules and Legislation. Injuries Resolution Board (injuries.ie). Accessed April 2026.
7. Minister Burke publishes independent report on injury compensation. Government of Ireland. 2025.
8. Personal Injuries Award Values Report H2 2024. Injuries Resolution Board.
9. Occupiers' Liability Act 1995, Section 3. Irish Statute Book.
10. Changes to Occupiers' Liability in Ireland. William Fry. September 2023.
11. No Liability for Occupier Where Visitor Does Not Take Reasonable Care. McCann FitzGerald.
12. Civil Liability Act 1961, Section 34. Irish Statute Book.
13. Civil Liability and Courts Act 2004, Section 26. Irish Statute Book.
14. Murphy v Aer Lingus Group & Anor [2025]. Kennedys Law. 2025.
15. Civil Liability and Courts Act 2004, Section 8. Irish Statute Book.
16. National Claims Information Database: Employer and Public Liability Report. Central Bank of Ireland. 2025.
17. How to make a claim. Injuries Resolution Board. Accessed April 2026.

Resources

How to make a claim to the IRB (injuries.ie)

Personal Injuries Guidelines 2021 (full PDF) (judicialcouncil.ie)

IRB overview and application process (citizensinformation.ie)

Occupiers' Liability Act 1995 (full text) (irishstatutebook.ie)

Related pages on this site

Public liability claims in Ireland

Occupiers' Liability Act 1995 explained

Negligence in public liability claims

Duty of care in Irish law

How to prove a public liability claim

General damages in public liability

Special damages in public liability

Time limits for public liability claims

Settlement vs court in public liability

Uneven surface accident claims

Car park accident claims

Hotel accident claims

Restaurant accident claims

Public liability solicitor Dublin

If your back injury happened at work rather than in a public place, see our workplace back injury compensation guide.

This information is for educational purposes only and doesn't constitute legal advice. Every case is different and outcomes vary. Consult a qualified solicitor for advice specific to your situation. In contentious business, a solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage or proportion of any award or settlement.

© 2026 Gary Matthews Solicitors. 3rd Floor, Ormond Building, 31-36 Ormond Quay Upper, Dublin D07. 01 903 6408.