IRB Medical Report Guide Ireland: Form B, Costs & 2026 Rules
Author: Gary Matthews, Principal Solicitor. Law Society of Ireland PC No. S8178. 3rd Floor, Ormond Building, 31 to 36 Ormond Quay Upper, Dublin D07. 01 903 6408. .
An IRB medical report is a treating practitioner’s Form B describing your injuries, treatment, cause, and prognosis. Since 4 September 2023 [1], an application without it is incomplete and the limitation clock keeps running.
Published . Last updated . Reviewed against Irish primary sources (IRB, Irish Statute Book, Judicial Council, Law Society of Ireland). By Gary Matthews, Principal Solicitor (Law Society PC No. S8178).
The Injuries Resolution Board (IRB), known as the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB) until 2023, assesses most personal injury claims in Ireland. It values them against the Judicial Council Personal Injuries Guidelines. The IRB medical report, still commonly called a PIAB medical report or Form B, is the evidence that sets that valuation.
4 Sept 2023 clock rule. Motor mediation since 12 Dec 2024.
Practitioner must be registered with IMC, Dental Council, NMBI, CORU, or EU equivalent.
Bring A&E letters, scan reports, accident summary, and the Form B template.
All five fields named? Prognosis matches current symptoms? Dominant injury coded? Pre-existing conditions disclosed?
In short: Your IRB application needs a completed Form B from a regulated treating practitioner. Fees run €250 to €700. Five mandatory fields must be present or the application is rejected.
Sources: IRB Guidance on Medical Reports [1], Personal Injuries Resolution Board Act 2022 [6].
Key takeaways
- Form B is the treating practitioner’s medical report. It must accompany Form A or the IRB application is incomplete.
- Since 4 September 2023, an incomplete application does not stop the Statute of Limitations clock.
- Five mandatory fields: injuries, accident date, dominant injury with ICD-10 code, causation, prognosis.
- Accepted practitioners: IMC-registered doctor, registered dentist, NMBI nurse or midwife, CORU-registered therapist, or EU equivalent.
- Typical cost: €250 to €400 from a GP, €400 to €700 from a consultant. Section 44 reimbursement often falls short.
- 2024 figures: 20,837 claims, €168m awarded, median €13,100, 11.2 months average assessment, 50% acceptance rate.
Who this guide is for
Irish claimants starting an IRB application, GPs and consultants preparing Form B for a patient, and legal professionals advising on Section 44 fee recovery. Jurisdiction: Republic of Ireland. If your accident occurred in Northern Ireland or outside Ireland, different rules apply.
What is an IRB medical report?
An IRB medical report is a Form B document prepared by your treating practitioner. It describes your injuries, treatment, cause, and prognosis. Under Irish law, this report is the foundation of your personal injury claim. The Injuries Resolution Board uses it with the Judicial Council Personal Injuries Guidelines [4] to value your claim.
The report is not a sick certificate, discharge letter, or referral note. It is a statutory document. The IRB publishes a Form B template [2]. Any substantive report meeting the content rules will be accepted.
The report serves a dual role. It registers your claim formally under Section 50 of the PIAB Act 2003 [5], stopping the Statute of Limitations. It also gives the assessor the evidence needed to map your injury to a compensation bracket. A weak report reduces your award. A missing report kills the application entirely.
From handling hundreds of Irish IRB claims, the most frequent mistake is treating Form B as a formality. Assessors cannot award higher damages than the medical evidence supports.
The 4 September 2023 rule that changed everything
Since 4 September 2023, an IRB application without a compliant medical report is incomplete and does not stop the Statute of Limitations clock. The rule came from Section 3 of the Personal Injuries Resolution Board Act 2022 [6], amending Section 11 of the PIAB Act 2003. The IRB published Guidance on Medical Reports version 1.0 the same day [1].
Before September 2023, claimants could file a skeleton application and send the report later. That workaround is gone.
You file Form A and pay the €45 fee the day before your two-year deadline, but lack a Form B. The IRB will not register the claim. Your limitation clock keeps running. Your case can become permanently statute-barred.
A narrow safety valve exists. The Guidance permits the Board in exceptional circumstances to accept raw medical records showing your name, the practitioner’s name, a description of injuries, and the accident date. This discretionary fallback applies only to imminent limitation expiry. Do not rely on it.
| Scenario | Before 4 Sept 2023 | From 4 Sept 2023 onward |
|---|---|---|
| Filing without a medical report | Accepted as a provisional application | Application rejected as incomplete |
| Statute of Limitations clock | Stopped on Form A receipt | Stops only when Form B accompanies Form A |
| Late submission of the report | Allowed up to acknowledgment stage | Must be with the initial application |
| Raw medical records as substitute | Commonly accepted | Only in narrow exceptional circumstances |
What happens if Form B is missing, delayed, or defective.
- Missing entirely: application not registered. Limitation clock keeps running.
- Submitted without dominant injury ICD code: application parked. IRB requests further information. Clock stops only once complete.
- Submitted by a non-treating practitioner: rejected under Section 11 PIAB Act 2003. You must re-submit with a qualifying report.
- Submitted after the two-year limitation: permanently statute-barred, save narrow equitable exceptions.
- Missing one required field: Board may accept if substantive content is intact, but acceptance is discretionary.
PIRB Act 2022 commencement sequence. The Act was signed 13 December 2022 but commenced in phases. Section 3 (medical report requirement): 4 September 2023. Employer liability mediation: 14 December 2023. Public liability mediation: 8 May 2024. Motor liability mediation: 12 December 2024 [9]. Different claim types came under the new rules at different times, so check which regime applies to your date of accident.
Different from the UK. Unlike in England and Wales, personal injury claimants typically use a MedCo-accredited report for Official Injury Claim portal cases. Ireland requires a treating practitioner’s Form B under Section 11 of the PIAB Act 2003. Irish claimants cannot substitute a non-treating medico-legal report at the application stage.
| Feature | Ireland (IRB) | England & Wales (OIC) | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Governing body | Injuries Resolution Board | Official Injury Claim portal | Small Claims Court / County Court |
| Mandatory report | Form B from treating practitioner | MedCo-accredited expert report | GP or consultant report (no fixed form) |
| Who can author | IMC, Dental Council, NMBI, CORU registrant | MedCo panel expert, not usually treating | Any registered medical practitioner |
| Fee regime | Private fee (€250 to €700), Section 44 reimbursement | Fixed fee (£180 to £420) | Private fee, recoverable as special damages |
What must Form B contain? The five mandatory fields
Every Form B medical report must include five content elements. These are a description of injuries, the accident date, the dominant injury with its ICD code, a causation opinion, and a prognosis. These come from the IRB Guidance on Medical Reports [1] and the official Form B template [2]. Missing any one of them can render the application incomplete.
The quality of each field directly affects the award. The Personal Injuries Guidelines operate on a dominant injury doctrine. The assessor identifies the single most significant injury from the report. It then locates the matching compensation bracket. Vague descriptions cost claimants thousands of euros.
| Field | What it must say | What it controls | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Description of injuries | Each injury sustained, with clinical detail | Scope of what is claimable | Omitting soft tissue injuries that appear later |
| 2. Accident date or date range | Specific date, or date range for exposure claims | Limitation clock position | Ambiguous dates in workplace exposure claims |
| 3. Dominant injury with ICD code | Primary injury coded to ICD-10 | Which Guidelines bracket applies | Missing codes for multi-injury claims |
| 4. Causation opinion | Degree to which the accident accounts for the injuries | Whether insurer can argue alternative causes | Hedged causation where pre-existing conditions exist |
| 5. Prognosis | Expected time to full recovery, or indication of permanence | Severity bracket inside the Guidelines | Premature prognosis that locks in a low award |
ICD-10 to ICD-11 transition. The IRB currently accepts ICD-10 codes for the dominant injury field. WHO released ICD-11 in 2022 and several Irish hospitals have started pilot adoption. Treating practitioners can include both codings for forward compatibility. Until the HSE completes migration, ICD-10 remains the safe default for Form B.
Causation language that strengthens or weakens your claim
Field 4 is where most awards are won or lost. Wording directly affects the outcome.
| Weak phrasing (invites challenge) | Strong phrasing (supports the claim) |
|---|---|
| “Symptoms may be related to the accident” | “Injuries are consistent with and caused by the collision on [date]” |
| “Patient reports pain since the accident” | “On examination, the injuries are fully attributable to the accident” |
| “Recovery is expected over time” | “Full recovery anticipated within 9 months, with no residual impairment” |
| “Some pre-existing factors present” | “Pre-existing degenerative changes aggravated materially by the accident” |
Common ICD-10 codes in Irish IRB medical reports
The dominant injury field needs an ICD-10 code. These are commonly used codes in Irish Form B reports.
| Injury type | ICD-10 code | Typical context |
|---|---|---|
| Cervical whiplash | S13.4 | Rear-end motor collisions |
| Lumbar sprain or strain | S33.5 | Lifting injuries, falls |
| Shoulder soft tissue injury | S46.0 | Falls, workplace accidents |
| Fracture of radius or ulna | S52.9 | Falls on an outstretched hand |
| PTSD (psychological) | F43.1 | Traumatic events, road collisions |
| Adjustment disorder | F43.2 | Post-accident psychological impact |
Two Form B features deserve attention. The Visual Analogue Scale asks you to mark pain intensity on a 0 to 10 line. The pre-existing conditions section demands a clear statement on whether the accident aggravated any prior injury. Irish tort law allows recovery for aggravation under the eggshell skull principle, but only for the specific extent and duration. Concealing a pre-existing condition risks dismissal under Section 26 of the Civil Liability and Courts Act 2004.
A detail that catches many claimants off guard. The assessor cannot upgrade your injury band above what the prognosis says. If your doctor writes “expected full recovery in six months” but you suffer lingering symptoms at month seven, your award is already locked to that initial prognosis.
Different from the UK. Unlike UK whiplash tariff claims under the Civil Liability Act 2018 where compensation follows a fixed schedule, Ireland applies the Judicial Council Personal Injuries Guidelines using a dominant injury doctrine. Form B language directly controls which Guidelines bracket applies, so precise description of severity and duration matters more in Irish practice than in the UK tariff system.
Who can prepare your IRB medical report?
Only a treating practitioner regulated by an Irish professional body may prepare the Form B report. The IRB will not accept reports from independent medico-legal experts who reviewed your records but never treated you, nor from unregulated alternative therapy practitioners. This is a strict rule under Section 11 of the PIAB Act 2003 as amended.
The “treating medical report” is defined in the IRB Guidance [1]. The practitioner must have treated you for the specific injuries that are the subject of the claim.
| Practitioner category | Required regulator | Typical use case |
|---|---|---|
| GP or specialist doctor | Irish Medical Council General Register | Soft tissue, fractures, most physical injuries |
| Consultant psychiatrist | Irish Medical Council Specialist Division | Standalone psychological injuries |
| Dentist or dental specialist | Dental Council (Dentists Act 1985) | Tooth loss, jaw injuries |
| Nurse or midwife | Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland | Rare, valid where treatment was nurse-led |
| Physiotherapist | CORU Register | Where physio was the treating discipline |
| Non-resident claimants | Equivalent EU regulator | Tourists, claimants resident abroad |
The IRB maintains a separate Independent Medical Panel used later in the process. That panel examines claimants once the respondent consents to assessment. The initiating Form B must come from your own treating practitioner.
Should I use a GP or a consultant for Form B?
Use a GP where your injuries are straightforward and already resolving. Use a consultant where there is a specialist diagnosis, a complex prognosis, or a psychological injury. The decision affects both cost and credibility.
| Factor | Choose a GP when | Choose a consultant when |
|---|---|---|
| Injury type | Soft tissue, minor whiplash, minor fracture, resolved strain | Spinal injury, surgical case, nerve damage, complex fracture, psychiatric injury |
| Prognosis certainty | Recovery is clear and near complete | Long-term or permanent impairment is suspected |
| Cost | €250 to €400 | €400 to €700 (higher for catastrophic cases) |
| Turnaround | 2 to 4 weeks typically | 6 to 12 weeks, sometimes longer |
| Guidelines bracket impact | Safe for lower-to-moderate brackets | Required to support upper-bracket claims |
| Likely insurer response | Credible for low-value claims | Harder for insurer to dispute on specialist points |
A common mistake is using a GP for a claim that will later require consultant evidence anyway. You end up paying twice. If surgery has occurred or is pending, go straight to the treating consultant.
How much does an IRB medical report cost in Ireland?
An IRB medical report typically costs €250 to €400 from a GP, and €400 to €700 from a consultant or specialist. Complex multi-disciplinary reports can exceed €800. The fee is a private professional charge set by the doctor. It is not subsidised by the State. The claimant pays upfront.
If your claim proceeds to assessment, the respondent can be directed to reimburse “reasonable and necessary” costs. This is the mechanism in Section 44 of the PIAB Act 2003 [7]. The practical reality is more complicated.
The shortfall problem. A Law Society Gazette analysis (November 2025) [8] by Maria Lakes of Tracey Solicitors documents consistent shortfalls in IRB assessments of Section 44 medical report fees. Claimants are frequently awarded less than the actual fee paid, with the difference effectively deducted from their general damages. IRB internal fee guidelines have not been revised since 1 February 2019.
If you are out of pocket, the shortfall becomes part of your special damages if the claim proceeds to court. Keep every receipt.
Two other fees to plan for. The IRB application fee is €45 online or €90 by post. The respondent’s processing fee is €1,050, paid by them.
How long does it take to get Form B from a doctor?
A GP Form B typically takes two to four weeks from request to delivery. A consultant report can take six to twelve weeks. Orthopaedic, psychiatric, or neurosurgical reports often take longer. The clock does not stop until the report is in IRB hands.
The IRB’s Independent Medical Panel offers appointments within four weeks of request and delivers reports within two weeks of examination. These are IRB-arranged exams after respondent consent, not your initial Form B.
Timing tip: Ask your doctor for Form B at the first consultation after injuries stabilise. Bring the template, an accident summary, and any A&E letters or scans you have.
If your injuries are still developing, do not rush. Under the PIRB Act 2022 [6], the IRB can retain claims up to two years and nine months where a long-term prognosis is awaited. A premature Form B locks the claim to an optimistic timeline.
Treating medical report vs IRB independent medical examination
The treating medical report is your mandatory application document. The IRB independent medical examination is a later, Board-arranged exam used to verify your injuries. The two serve different functions. Competitor guides frequently conflate them.
| Feature | Treating Form B report | IRB independent medical exam |
|---|---|---|
| When it happens | Before submission. Mandatory for application. | After respondent consents to assessment. |
| Who arranges it | You or your solicitor. | IRB, from its Independent Medical Panel. |
| Who pays | You, upfront. Recoverable under Section 44. | IRB pays the panel doctor. |
| Who completes it | Your treating GP, consultant, psychiatrist, or nurse. | IRB-appointed independent specialist. |
| Legal status | Registers the claim. Stops limitation clock. | Adds verification evidence. Does not register. |
If the two reports contradict, the IRB may request further information or decline the assessment and issue an Authorisation to proceed to court. Your solicitor can submit specialist reports if the IME understates severity. Refusal to attend the IME without good cause can defeat the claim.
When your GP will not complete Form B
If your GP refuses Form B, you have three options. Ask another treating practitioner, engage a medico-legal report service, or escalate through your solicitor. GP reluctance is common. Some practices refuse medico-legal work.
The treating practitioner does not have to be your GP. Any regulated doctor, psychiatrist, dentist, nurse, midwife, or physiotherapist who treated you can prepare Form B. Options:
- The A&E consultant who treated you on the day.
- The orthopaedic consultant or specialist you were referred to.
- The physiotherapist or psychologist who treated you, where regulated.
- A private medico-legal report service where doctors examine you for the purpose.
Document refusal in writing if moving to another practitioner. Your solicitor can accelerate matters with a direct letter to the records office.
The GPs who charge the most are often the quickest and most thorough. A €450 report in ten days beats a €250 report that takes four months.
Psychological injuries and psychiatrist reports
Standalone psychological injuries now proceed through the IRB and require a consultant psychiatrist’s report, not a GP letter. The IRB Annual Report 2024 [3] shows psychiatric damage awards rose from 5% in 2021 to 14% in H2 2024. This reflects the Personal Injuries Resolution Board Act 2022, which expanded the IRB’s authority to assess purely psychological claims [6].
The evidence threshold is high. General distress, short-term anxiety, or feeling shaken up are not enough. You need a recognised psychiatric diagnosis:
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder with DSM-5 or ICD-11 criteria documented.
- Major depressive disorder linked causally to the accident.
- Generalised anxiety disorder or accident-triggered panic disorder.
- Adjustment disorder with documented functional impairment.
A GP letter or counsellor’s note will not carry the weight needed. The report should document cognitive symptoms, sleep disturbance, medication, functional impact, and a clear causal link. The Kelly v Hennessy five-part test governs nervous shock claims where no physical injury exists.
Which Irish case law shapes Form B drafting?
Two Irish authorities shape how medical evidence is interpreted in IRB and subsequent court proceedings. Understanding them helps your treating practitioner draft a Form B that survives scrutiny.
Kelly v Hennessy [1995] 3 IR 253 (Supreme Court) [13].
Holding: Established the five-part test for nervous shock claims in Ireland. The claimant must show (1) recognisable psychiatric illness, (2) caused by shock, (3) from a sudden event, (4) proximity, (5) reasonable foreseeability.
Why it matters for Form B: Your psychiatrist’s report must address each limb where no physical injury exists. See courts.ie.
McHugh v Ferol [2023] IEHC 132 (High Court) [12].
Holding: Applied the dominant injury doctrine under the Personal Injuries Guidelines to a multi-injury claim. Uplift for lesser injuries is proportionate, not additive.
Why it matters for Form B: The report must identify the dominant injury and quantify severity of each lesser one. Vague framing loses money.
How does the IRB’s 2024 data affect Form B strategy?
The IRB’s 2024 figures reshape how claimants and GPs should think about Form B timing, severity wording, and prognosis language. The dataset is drawn from the IRB Annual Report 2024 [3], published July 2025.
| Metric | 2024 figure | What it means for your Form B |
|---|---|---|
| Applications received | 20,837 | High volume. Board prioritises applications that satisfy the five-field rule. |
| Total awards made | €168 million | Cumulative scale. Individual awards depend on Form B precision. |
| Median award | €13,100 | Up 12% year on year, but 29% lower than 2020. Guidelines squeeze minor awards. Prognosis wording matters. |
| Average assessment time | 11.2 months | Prepare Form B for continued treatment if needed during this window. |
| Acceptance rate | 50% | Half of assessments are rejected. Strong Form B raises acceptance. |
| Psychiatric damage share | 14% of 2024 H2 awards | Up from 5% in 2021. Consultant psychiatrist reports are now mainstream. |
The statistics do not capture one nuance. The median drop reflects the Guidelines reset, not claimant quality. A well-drafted Form B still pushes claims toward the upper end of the band.
Watch for the 17% uplift amendment. The Deloitte Review of Compensation for Minor Soft Tissue Injuries (October 2025) [11] benchmarked more than 12,000 Irish awards against UK equivalents. The Judicial Council is now considering a draft 17% uplift to minor-injury brackets. If approved, soft tissue Form B wording will directly affect claim value under revised bands.
What most IRB guides get wrong about Form B
Three persistent myths surround Form B. Each one costs claimants money when acted on. Competitor guides recycle outdated advice from the pre-2023 era or import UK framing that does not apply in Ireland.
| The myth | The 2026 reality | Source |
|---|---|---|
| “Any doctor’s note or sick certificate will do” | False. Since 4 September 2023, a compliant Form B report from a regulated treating practitioner is mandatory. Non-compliant applications do not stop the limitation clock. | IRB Guidance on Medical Reports [1] |
| “The IRB will always reimburse the full medical report fee” | False. Documented shortfalls are common. Law Society Gazette (November 2025) reports that IRB fee awards consistently fall below actual costs paid. IRB internal fee rates have not been updated since 1 February 2019. | Law Society Gazette [8] |
| “Psychological injuries can’t be claimed without physical injury” | False. Since the PIRB Act 2022 commencement, standalone psychiatric claims proceed through the IRB. They grew from 5% of awards in 2021 to 14% of 2024 awards. | IRB Annual Report 2024 [3] |
Common Form B mistakes that reduce your IRB award
The four most damaging mistakes are vague prognosis wording, missing ICD codes, unacknowledged pre-existing conditions, and overly optimistic recovery timelines. Each reduces the Guidelines band. The cut can be thousands of euros.
| Mistake | Why it reduces your award | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Vague prognosis | Assessor defaults to lowest band when timeline unclear | Request specific durations, not “should improve” phrasing |
| Missing dominant injury ICD code | Dominant injury doctrine cannot operate without it | Confirm code is present before submission |
| Hidden pre-existing condition | Section 26 dismissal risk under CLCA 2004 | Disclose and distinguish aggravation from baseline |
| Premature final prognosis | Locks in a low band before true severity is known | Wait until injuries stabilise or use IRB retention extension |
| Gaps in treatment timeline | Insurer argues injury was minor or unrelated | Document why gaps occurred |
| No causation statement | Opens the door to alternative-cause defences | Ensure doctor states accident accounts for injuries |
Between assessment and acceptance, the sticking point is usually the prognosis field. A soft-tissue injury with a “six months to full recovery” prognosis sits in a different Guidelines bracket than one described as “ongoing with residual restriction”.
A solicitor can review your Form B against the Personal Injuries Guidelines before submission. Arrange a Form B review. Call 01 903 6408.
Frequently asked questions
Can I submit an IRB application without a medical report?
No. Since 4 September 2023, an application without a compliant medical report is incomplete. The Statute of Limitations clock does not stop, and the Board will not register the claim.
The PIRB Act 2022 amended Section 11 of the PIAB Act 2003 to make the report mandatory at submission. A narrow exceptional-circumstances fallback exists for imminent limitation expiry, but it is at the Board’s discretion.
If your deadline is close and your report is not ready, seek urgent legal advice the same day.
Do I have to use the Form B template specifically?
No. Any substantive medical report containing the five mandatory fields is acceptable. Form B is the safe default because it matches the IRB’s validation checklist.
Claimants may submit reports in other formats. The document must describe the injuries, state the accident date, provide a causation opinion, give a prognosis, and come from a regulated treating practitioner.
Can the respondent and insurer see my medical report?
Yes. Copies of Form A and the medical report are passed to the respondent and insurer, who must treat the information confidentially.
The report should cover only medical history relevant to the accident. Your solicitor can review the draft to avoid disclosing unrelated health information.
The Peruvian Guano proportionality principle in Irish discovery law limits what insurers can demand beyond the report itself.
Can I submit more than one medical report to the IRB?
Yes. Every report received up to the point of assessment will be considered. If you file a GP report and later obtain a consultant orthopaedic report, submit both.
Timing matters. A psychiatric addendum two weeks before assessment can shift an award bracket entirely.
What if my GP refuses to complete Form B?
You can obtain the report from another treating practitioner such as an A&E consultant, orthopaedic specialist, or regulated physiotherapist. A medico-legal report service is a paid alternative.
The IRB requires the report to come from a regulated practitioner who actually treated you. A&E records, hospital notes, and referrals create a paper trail of other treating practitioners.
A solicitor letter to a medical records office often unblocks delays patients cannot move alone.
Will the IRB reimburse the full cost of my medical report?
Not always. The IRB has discretion under Section 44 of the PIAB Act 2003 to reimburse “reasonable and necessary” medical report costs. In practice, the allowance often falls short of the fee the doctor charged.
A Law Society Gazette analysis in November 2025 [8] by Maria Lakes of Tracey Solicitors LLP documents that IRB assessments consistently award less than the actual fee paid. Claimants make up the difference from their general damages. The IRB’s internal fee guidelines have not been revised since 1 February 2019.
One detail the official guidance does not mention. The Board does not publish its internal fee rates, so claimants cannot cross-check whether a shortfall is within or outside the undisclosed tariff.
What if I disagree with the IRB independent medical report?
You can submit additional specialist reports, request further information, or reject the assessment and proceed to court. The IRB weighs all medical evidence when assessing.
Where the disagreement is too profound for paper-based assessment, the IRB will decline and issue an Authorisation. In court, medical experts can be cross-examined.
Can Form B be used in IRB mediation as well as assessment?
Yes. Motor, public, and employer liability mediation all use Form B as the starting point for negotiation. Motor mediation has been available since 12 December 2024 [9].
In assessment, Form B drives the final figure. In mediation, parties can discuss it through the mediator. If mediation fails, concessions cannot be used against the claimant in court.
Can I amend or update Form B after submission?
Yes. You can submit an updated or supplementary report at any time until the assessor makes the assessment. Once the assessment issues, amendments cannot change the figure.
Common reasons to supplement Form B include new specialist reports, emerging psychological symptoms, worsening prognosis, or correction of initial findings. Notify your IRB case reference in writing when submitting.
Do I need a separate Form B for each respondent?
No. One Form B suffices regardless of how many respondents are named in Form A. The report is about your injuries, not the parties. The IRB copies your Form B to each respondent.
You may need additional evidence on apportionment of fault, but liability is handled separately from Form B.
Where does Form B fit in the rest of your IRB claim?
The medical report is one of several documents that make an IRB application complete. Each connects to a specific decision point.
Form A walkthrough and online portal. IRB documents checklist
Everything you need alongside Form B. IRB time limits
Two-year rule and clock-stop mechanics. Accept or reject an assessment
What to do when the IRB issues its figure. How IRB awards are calculated
Dominant injury doctrine and Guidelines bands. Section 8 letter
Early notification that avoids cost penalties.
References and methodology
How we researched this guide
This guide was written by a practising Irish solicitor with direct experience of IRB applications under both the pre-2023 and post-2023 regimes. The research process:
- Primary sources first. All statutory claims cite the Irish Statute Book (irishstatutebook.ie). All procedural claims cite the IRB’s own publications (injuries.ie) or the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (gov.ie).
- Case law verified on courts.ie and vLex Ireland. Citations are double-checked against the neutral citation number and the judge’s name.
- 2024 figures taken from the IRB Annual Report 2024 (published 9 July 2025), not earlier interim reports, so numbers are final not provisional.
- Contested practitioner guidance (Section 44 shortfalls) cross-checked against the Law Society Gazette and practitioner commentary. Unverifiable specifics are not asserted.
- Last comprehensive review: 17 April 2026. Substantive content changes are logged in the dateModified property. Next scheduled review: October 2026.
If you spot a factual error, email info@personalinjurysolicitorsdublin.info with the specific paragraph and your source.
All sources accessed 17 April 2026. Primary legislation and government sources prioritised. Jurisdiction: Ireland.
- Injuries Resolution Board, Guidance on Medical Reports version 1.0 (Ireland, September 2023). Accessed 17 April 2026. ↩
- Injuries Resolution Board, Medical Assessment Form (Form B) template (Ireland). Accessed 17 April 2026.
- Injuries Resolution Board, Annual Report 2024 (Ireland, published 9 July 2025). Accessed 17 April 2026.
- Judicial Council, Personal Injuries Guidelines (Ireland, April 2021). Accessed 17 April 2026.
- Personal Injuries Assessment Board Act 2003, Section 50 (Ireland, as amended). Accessed 17 April 2026.
- Personal Injuries Resolution Board Act 2022 (Ireland, signed 13 December 2022). Accessed 17 April 2026.
- Personal Injuries Assessment Board Act 2003, Section 44 (Ireland). Accessed 17 April 2026.
- Lakes, Maria, “Insult to Injury”, Law Society Gazette (Ireland, 11 November 2025). Accessed 17 April 2026.
- Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Minister announces commencement of IRB mediation for motor liability claims (Ireland, 11 December 2024). Accessed 17 April 2026.
- Citizens Information Board, Injuries Resolution Board (Ireland, updated November 2025). Accessed 17 April 2026.
- Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Minister Burke publishes Deloitte Review of Compensation for Minor Soft Tissue Injuries in Ireland and the UK (Ireland, 16 October 2025). Accessed 17 April 2026.
- McHugh v Ferol [2023] IEHC 132 (High Court, Ireland, 15 March 2023, Murphy J). Source: courts.ie. Accessed 17 April 2026.
- Kelly v Hennessy [1995] 3 IR 253; [1995] IESC 8 (Supreme Court, Ireland, 28 November 1995). Source: courts.ie. Accessed 17 April 2026.
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