Spinal Injury Claims in Ireland: Public Liability Evidence and Compensation

A spinal cord injury claim in Ireland compensates for damage to the spinal cord or vertebrae causing permanent neurological loss, paralysis, or severe disability. Under the Personal Injuries Guidelines 2021 (which replaced the earlier Book of Quantum), general damages for quadriplegia range from €400,000 to €550,000 and paraplegia from €320,000 to €450,000. Total awards including special damages for lifetime care routinely reach the multi-million euro range. Falls cause 53.9% of all traumatic spinal cord injuries in Ireland, making premises accidents the leading cause, ahead of road traffic collisions at 15.2%.

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

Contents

Quadriplegia: €400,000–€550,000 general damages. ¹

Paraplegia: €320,000–€450,000 general damages. ¹

Leading cause: Falls (53.9% of all traumatic SCI in Ireland). ²

Time limit: Two years from the accident or date of knowledge.

Court: Nearly all spinal cord injury claims are heard in the High Court.

Support: Spinal Injuries Ireland (SII) provides lifelong community support.

What is a spinal injury claim?

A spinal injury claim seeks compensation for damage to the spinal cord, nerve roots, or vertebrae that produces lasting neurological consequences. ¹ The distinction from an ordinary back injury claim is critical. Back injuries involve muscles, ligaments, or discs without cord involvement and fall within the lower brackets of the Personal Injuries Guidelines (Updated March 2024) [1] (typically €500 to €55,000). Spinal injury claims involve cord damage, nerve root severance, or vertebral trauma with neurological deficits, and they occupy the highest brackets in the Guidelines.

Spinal cord injuries are classified as complete (total loss of motor and sensory function below the injury level) or incomplete (partial preservation of function). Incomplete tetraplegia accounts for 45.3% of all traumatic spinal cord injuries in Ireland, making it the most common presentation. ²

Where the cord is damaged determines the clinical outcome. Cervical injuries (C1 to C7) affect the arms, hands, trunk, and legs. Thoracic injuries (T1 to T12) typically result in paraplegia with upper body function preserved. Lumbar and sacral injuries (L1 to S5) affect the hips, legs, bladder, and bowel. One detail that catches many people off guard: the full extent of cord damage often can't be determined until 6 to 8 weeks after the injury, because a phenomenon called spinal shock temporarily suppresses all nerve signalling below the injury level.

Back injury claim vs spinal injury claim in Ireland: key differences

Dimension	Back injury claim	Spinal injury claim
Clinical focus	Soft tissue, muscles, ligaments, minor disc damage	Spinal cord damage, nerve root severance, paralysis, Cauda Equina Syndrome
Guidelines chapter	Chapter 7B (lower brackets)	Chapter 2 (paralysis) + Chapter 7B (most severe) + Chapter 7C (vertebral fractures)
General damages range	€500 to €55,000	€90,000 to €550,000
Typical court	Circuit Court or IRB assessment	High Court (claims regularly exceed €500,000 total)
Evidence requirements	GP or orthopaedic report, basic MRI	Spinal surgeon, neurologist, rehabilitation consultant, care needs assessor, actuary
Typical resolution time	9 to 18 months	3 years or longer
Special damages significance	Modest (short-term lost earnings, treatment)	Dominant (lifetime care, housing, equipment: 60-90% of total award)

Personal Injuries Guidelines 2021. ¹ See back injury claims for the full guide to non-spinal back injuries.

How do premises accidents cause spinal cord injuries?

Falls are the single most common cause of traumatic spinal cord injury in Ireland, responsible for 53.9% of all cases between 2017 and 2022. Road traffic collisions account for only 15.2%, and sports injuries for another 15.2%. ² The research published in Spinal Cord Series and Cases (2024) confirmed that patients injured by falls tend to be older than those injured in other circumstances, with a mean age of 50.1 years. ²

A fall from standing height can cause catastrophic cervical spinal cord injury, particularly in people over 50 whose spines have pre-existing degenerative changes such as spinal stenosis or disc degeneration. The types of premises accidents that cause spinal injuries include falls on wet or contaminated floors in supermarkets and shopping centres, trips on uneven surfaces in car parks and public walkways, falls down defective or poorly lit staircases in hotels and commercial buildings, and impacts from falling objects such as unsecured shelving or stock.

Each of these scenarios involves a premises occupier who owed a statutory duty of care under the Occupiers' Liability Act 1995.

Traumatic spinal cord injury in Ireland: epidemiology snapshot (2017 to 2022)

Measure	Finding
Annual incidence	14 per million population
Leading cause	Falls (53.9%)
Second cause	Road traffic collisions (15.2%) and sports (15.2%)
Gender	75.7% male
Mean age at injury	50.1 years
Most common presentation	Incomplete tetraplegia (45.3%)
Mortality before discharge	12.7%
People living with SCI in Ireland	Over 2,500 (SII estimate)

Mohd Fuad and Smith, Spinal Cord Series and Cases, 2024. ² SII figure from Spinal Injuries Ireland. ¹¹

How is liability proven under the Occupiers' Liability Act 1995?

The occupier of a premises owes a "common duty of care" to take reasonable steps to ensure visitors do not suffer injury from dangers on the premises, under Section 3 of the Occupiers' Liability Act 1995. ³ To succeed in a public liability spinal injury claim, the claimant must show the occupier knew or ought to have known about the hazard and failed to remove it, warn of it, or prevent access to it.

The Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023 [5] amended the 1995 Act by introducing a five-factor threshold test that courts must now weigh when deciding whether an occupier breached the duty of care:

Five-factor breach test (post-July 2023 amendments)

Factor	Application to spinal injury claims
1. Probability of the danger existing	Was the wet floor, uneven surface, or defective staircase a known or foreseeable hazard?
2. Probability of injury occurring	How likely was it that someone would be hurt by this hazard?
3. Probable severity of the injury	Spinal cord trauma carries catastrophic consequences, which weighs strongly in favour of higher precautions.
4. Cost and practicability of precautions	What would it have cost the occupier to fix the surface, improve lighting, or install handrails?
5. Social utility of the activity	Was the risk created by an activity with significant social or commercial value?

Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023, amending Occupiers' Liability Act 1995. ⁵

The timing matters more than most guides suggest: defendants now routinely argue factors 4 and 5 to claim they've met their statutory duty. In cases involving catastrophic spinal injuries, factor 3 (severity) becomes the claimant's strongest argument. A court is more likely to find that an occupier should have taken greater precautions where the foreseeable injury included permanent paralysis rather than a minor bruise.

What are the five stages of a catastrophic spinal injury claim?

Catastrophic spinal injury claims in Ireland follow five distinct stages, each requiring specific expert evidence that ordinary personal injury claims do not. The Five-Stage Catastrophic Claim Architecture covers the full journey from emergency treatment to final resolution, and missing any stage weakens the case or reduces the award.

What evidence proves a premises spinal injury claim?

Spinal injury claims from premises falls require both liability evidence (proving the occupier's fault) and medical causation evidence (proving the fall caused the cord damage). The Occupiers' Liability Act 1995 ³ sets the standard the occupier must meet, and the Personal Injuries Guidelines ¹ determine how the injury is valued. The two must connect, and that connection is where many claims face their toughest challenge.

Liability evidence

CCTV footage is often the single most important piece of evidence. It can show how long the hazard existed, whether staff inspected the area, and the mechanics of the fall. A critical timing factor: most premises systems overwrite footage within 7 to 30 days. A solicitor's early intervention to secure a preservation order can make or break the case. Related guidance: CCTV and accident evidence.

Maintenance and cleaning logs show whether the occupier had a system of inspection and whether it was actually followed. An ad hoc system, or a log with gaps, often leads to a finding of liability. The general guide to proving a public liability claim covers this in depth.

Accident report book entries and witness statements recorded at the scene provide contemporaneous evidence of what happened before memories fade.

Medical causation evidence

Spinal injury claims require reports from an orthopaedic or spinal surgeon confirming the nature and extent of cord damage, a neurologist documenting the neurological deficits, and a rehabilitation medicine consultant from the NRH setting out the long-term prognosis. MRI imaging is essential to demonstrate the location and severity of cord compression or transection. In contested cases, a biomechanical engineer may be needed to confirm that the fall mechanism was capable of producing the claimed injury. See also: medical evidence for public liability claims.

A catastrophic spinal injury claim typically requires reports from all seven expert disciplines. Missing any weakens the claim or undervalues the award.

What should you do in the first 48 hours after a spinal injury on premises?

The evidence that wins or loses a premises spinal injury claim is often created or destroyed within the first 48 hours. The occupier's duty under Section 3 of the Occupiers' Liability Act 1995 ³ can only be tested with evidence preserved at the scene. If you're a family member reading this while your loved one is in hospital, these steps protect the claim while you focus on their care.

Report the accident to premises management immediately. Ask them to record it in the accident report book. Request a copy or photograph the entry before you leave. The entry should note the date, time, location, the hazard (wet floor, broken step, uneven surface), and the injury.

Request CCTV preservation in writing. Ask the manager to preserve all CCTV footage from the area of the accident and surrounding corridors. Put this request in writing (even a text message or email counts). Most premises CCTV systems overwrite within 7 to 30 days. Once overwritten, the footage is gone permanently.

Photograph the hazard. Use a phone to capture the exact spot where the fall happened, the hazard itself (spill, broken surface, missing handrail, poor lighting), and the wider area. If the hazard has already been cleaned up or repaired, note that in writing.

Collect witness contact details. Get the names and phone numbers of anyone who saw the fall or the hazard. Staff members who were working in the area are particularly important witnesses.

Contact a solicitor experienced in catastrophic injury claims. Early legal intervention can secure a court order for CCTV preservation, request maintenance and inspection logs before they're altered, and begin assembling the multi-disciplinary expert team the claim will need.

How much compensation for a spinal injury claim in Ireland?

General damages for spinal cord injuries are assessed under the Personal Injuries Guidelines 2021 ¹, with the most severe injuries attracting awards up to the maximum cap of €550,000. Spinal injuries span at least three separate chapters of the Guidelines, and no two cases produce identical awards. The Supreme Court confirmed these brackets are constitutionally valid in Delaney v PIAB [2024] IESC 10. ¹³

Personal Injuries Guidelines 2021: spinal injury brackets (general damages only)

Injury classification	Clinical description	General damages range
Quadriplegia (tetraplegia)	Loss of function in all four limbs, trunk, and pelvic organs	€400,000 to €550,000
Paraplegia	Loss of function in the lower limbs and pelvic organs	€320,000 to €450,000
Most severe back/spinal (short of paralysis)	Spinal cord and nerve root damage causing severe pain, incomplete paralysis, bladder/bowel/sexual dysfunction	Top of back injury range (Chapter 7B)
Severe and serious back/spinal	Nerve root damage, loss of sensation, impaired mobility, depression, personality changes	Upper-mid back injury range (Chapter 7B)
Vertebral fractures (Chapter 7C)	Fracture dislocations, wedge fractures, burst fractures, chance fractures	Assessed by severity and neurological consequences

Personal Injuries Guidelines, Judicial Council of Ireland, adopted 6 March 2021. ¹ Every case is assessed individually. These figures cover general damages only and don't include special damages.

Multiple injuries and the uplift

A catastrophic fall rarely causes only one injury. Spinal cord damage often occurs alongside head injuries, limb fractures, and psychological injury such as depression, adjustment disorder, or PTSD. The Guidelines require the court to identify the dominant injury (usually the spinal cord damage), value it within the appropriate bracket, and then apply an uplift for the additional injuries. The court can't simply add the maximum values of each injury together. As demonstrated in High Court decisions such as Lipinski v Whelan and the Court of Appeal's approach in Keogh v Byrne, the trial judge must step back from individual valuations and apply a proportionality check against the €550,000 cap. ¹

Are the Guidelines legally binding?

Yes. The Supreme Court confirmed the constitutional validity of the Personal Injuries Guidelines in the landmark decision Delaney v The Personal Injuries Assessment Board [2024] IESC 10. A seven-judge panel ruled that while the original delegation of power to the Judicial Council had constitutional flaws, subsequent legislative affirmation by the Oireachtas rendered the Guidelines valid. The Court set a high threshold for departure: judges may only deviate if there's no "reasonable proportion" between the suggested guideline amount and the award that should otherwise be made. Any future revisions to the Guidelines will require direct legislative intervention. ¹³

What are the special damages in a catastrophic spinal injury claim?

Special damages for lifetime care, housing, equipment, and lost earnings routinely make up 60% to 90% of the total award in a catastrophic spinal injury claim in Ireland. The general damages for pain and suffering, assessed under the Personal Injuries Guidelines ¹, represent only a fraction of the overall compensation. The NRH Spinal Cord System of Care (Updated 2024) [10] rehabilitation pathway determines many of the care costs that form the special damages claim.

Indicative special damages heads in catastrophic spinal injury claims (Ireland)

Head of damage	What it covers	Indicative annual or one-off cost
24-hour care (home-based)	Full-time carers, agency fees, employer insurance, Garda vetting	€130,000 to €260,000 per year
Housing adaptation	Wheelchair-accessible ground-floor extension, wet room, through-floor lift, ramps	€70,000 to €200,000+ (one-off)
Specialist wheelchair and equipment	Powered chair, backup manual chair, pressure relief seating, hoists, standing frames	€150,000 to €400,000+ (lifetime)
Adapted vehicle	Wheelchair-accessible vehicle with driving controls, plus replacement cycle	Assessed over driving lifespan
Ongoing medical costs	Consultant reviews, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychology, urology, respiratory	Variable by injury level
Loss of earnings (past and future)	Full earnings from accident date to projected retirement	Often the single largest head for younger claimants

Costs are assessed using the multiplier/multiplicand actuarial method. The Court of Appeal in Russell v HSE established a 1% discount rate for future care and wage-related losses, and 1.5% for other future pecuniary losses. Every award is calculated on the individual claimant's needs, life expectancy, and projected costs.

Loss of vocational opportunity

Spinal injuries don't just end a career. They close off the full spectrum of employment that would otherwise have been available. Irish courts distinguish between straightforward loss of earnings (the salary you can no longer earn) and the more complex loss of opportunity (the reduction in future career potential). In Buckley v Lenihan, the High Court awarded a 25% uplift to general damages specifically for loss of vocational opportunity, supported by precedents in Meehan v Shawcove and Leidig v O'Neill. To quantify this loss, the claim needs evidence from a vocational assessor or occupational psychologist who can evaluate the claimant's retraining capacity and realistic future earning potential. ¹⁴

Each annual cost is projected across the claimant's remaining life expectancy, then discounted to present value. For a young person with complete quadriplegia, the resulting figure regularly scales into the multi-million euro range. The public liability compensation guide covers the general framework for how Irish courts assess damages.

Can your award be reduced if you were partly at fault?

Yes. Under Section 34 of the Civil Liability Act 1961 [15], the court can reduce your compensation if it finds you contributed to your own injury. This is called contributory negligence, and it's the most common defence raised by occupiers' insurers in premises fall cases.

Contributory negligence doesn't eliminate the claim. It reduces the award proportionally. A finding of 25% contributory negligence on a €2 million total claim reduces the award to €1.5 million. The occupier still pays the remaining 75%.

Common arguments insurers raise in premises spinal injury cases include claims that the claimant was wearing unsuitable footwear, was distracted by a phone, ignored a warning sign, chose an obviously hazardous route when a safer alternative existed, or was under the influence of alcohol. One aspect the official guidance doesn't cover: in practice, Irish courts tend to be cautious about reducing awards significantly for catastrophic injuries. A finding of 10% to 20% is far more common than 50% in cases where the occupier's own negligence created the primary hazard.

Other factors that can reduce the value of a claim include late reporting of the accident (which weakens the evidence), failure to follow medical advice (which the defendant argues worsened the outcome), and gaps in the medical evidence chain (which create doubt about causation). The strongest protection against these risks is early legal advice and consistent medical follow-up from day one.

Should you choose a periodic payment order or a lump sum?

A periodic payment order (PPO) pays compensation as regular annual instalments instead of a single lump sum, but the system in Ireland is effectively stalled due to a fundamental problem with how payments are indexed.

The Civil Liability (Amendment) Act 2017 [6] introduced PPOs for catastrophic injury cases, with the first order approved in February 2019. The legislation requires PPO payments to increase annually in line with the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP). The problem: care costs rise faster than general consumer prices.

In the landmark High Court judgment JH v HSE (2019), Justice Deirdre Murphy found overwhelming evidence that a PPO linked to HICP would under-compensate the claimant. Expert evidence showed that by the time the plaintiff reached age 50, the PPO would meet only 48% of his care costs. Justice Murphy described the legislation in its current form as effectively "a dead letter" and concluded that no judge charged with protecting a plaintiff's best interests could approve a PPO indexed to HICP. ⁷

In July 2024, an interdepartmental group recommended a new indexation formula: 80% of the annual rate of change in nominal hourly health earnings plus 20% HICP. ⁸ As of April 2026, the regulations implementing this recommendation have not been signed into law. The result: most catastrophic spinal injury claims continue to settle for lump sums rather than PPOs.

How does the IRB process work for spinal injury claims?

All personal injury claims in Ireland (except medical negligence, certain assaults, and purely psychological injuries) must be submitted to the Injuries Resolution Board (IRB, formerly PIAB) before court proceedings can be issued. ⁴ The IRB application fee is €45 online or €90 by post. ⁴

For spinal cord injury claims, the IRB stage is typically brief. The respondent (the premises occupier or their insurer) has 90 days to indicate whether they consent to assessment. In catastrophic cases involving complex multi-disciplinary medical evidence and multi-million euro special damages, the IRB frequently declines to assess the claim and issues an authorisation allowing the claimant to issue court proceedings. Proceedings for catastrophic spinal injury claims are almost always issued in the High Court, which has unlimited jurisdiction. The Circuit Court personal injury jurisdiction cap of €60,000 is far below the value of any spinal cord injury claim.

Since May 2024, the IRB has offered a mediation service under the Personal Injuries Resolution Board Act 2022 [9]. Mediation requires the consent of both parties. If mediation succeeds, the agreement becomes binding after a 10-day cooling-off period. If it fails, the case moves to formal assessment by different assessors. In practice, catastrophic spinal injury claims are rarely suitable for mediation and proceed directly to High Court litigation.

For a detailed overview of the process, see public liability claims through the IRB and settlement vs court.

What rehabilitation and support is available after a spinal cord injury in Ireland?

Ireland's national rehabilitation pathway for spinal cord injury runs between the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) in Dún Laoghaire. ¹⁰

After a traumatic spinal cord injury, the typical pathway is: local hospital or emergency department for initial stabilisation, then transfer to the National Spinal Injuries Unit at the Mater for acute orthopaedic and surgical care, then transfer to the NRH for the Spinal Cord System of Care (SCSC) Programme. ¹⁰ The SCSC Programme provides inpatient rehabilitation through an interdisciplinary team (rehabilitation medicine consultants, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, and speech and language therapists), followed by outpatient follow-up and community reintegration support. The NRH has published a series of patient education booklets covering essential facts, bladder care, bowel care, skin care, physical care, and psychological wellbeing after spinal cord injury.

Spinal Injuries Ireland (SII) ¹¹ is the only dedicated support service for the estimated 2,500 people living with spinal cord injury in Ireland and their 20,000 family members. SII provides Community Outreach Officers, peer support, professional counselling, family support, and a vocational rehabilitation programme run jointly with the NRH to help people return to education, training, or employment.

Understanding this rehabilitation pathway is directly relevant to the claim. The costs of each stage form the largest component of special damages: NRH rehabilitation admission costs, ongoing outpatient therapy, community support, vocational retraining, and lifelong medical follow-up must all be projected and included in the claim.

What is the time limit for a spinal injury claim in Ireland?

The standard limitation period for a personal injury claim in Ireland is two years from the date of the accident, or two years from the "date of knowledge" if the claimant didn't immediately realise the injury was connected to the incident. See the Statute of Limitations (Amendment) Act 1991 [12] and our detailed guide to time limits for public liability claims.

Exceptions apply for children: the two-year period doesn't start until the child's 18th birthday, meaning a claim can be brought up to age 20. For persons who lack mental capacity to manage their own affairs (which can apply after severe spinal cord injury with concurrent brain injury), no time limit runs until capacity is restored or a committee is appointed.

Gradual spinal cord compression from a disc displaced during a fall may not produce obvious symptoms for weeks or months. The date-of-knowledge exception is directly relevant here. If you didn't know and couldn't reasonably have known that you had a significant injury, the two-year period runs from the date you became aware of the connection between the injury and the accident.

Common questions about spinal injury claims in Ireland

Can I claim for a spinal injury after a fall in a shop or supermarket?

Yes, if the fall was caused by the occupier's failure to maintain safe premises under the Occupiers' Liability Act 1995. Falls on wet floors, uneven surfaces, and poorly maintained aisles in supermarkets and shops are among the most common causes of spinal injury in public liability cases. You must prove the occupier knew or should have known about the hazard and failed to act. ³

What is the difference between a back injury claim and a spinal injury claim?

A back injury claim covers soft tissue damage, muscle strains, and disc problems without spinal cord involvement, typically valued at €500 to €55,000. A spinal injury claim covers damage to the spinal cord or vertebrae that causes neurological loss, paralysis, or permanent disability, with general damages ranging from €90,000 to €550,000 and total awards including special damages regularly reaching the multi-million euro range.

How long does a spinal injury claim take in Ireland?

Catastrophic spinal injury claims typically take three years or longer to resolve. The timeline depends on the complexity of the injury, how long the medical prognosis takes to stabilise (often 18 months to two years for spinal cord injuries), and whether the case settles or proceeds to a full High Court hearing.

Who pays for rehabilitation while the claim is ongoing?

The NRH and HSE fund acute rehabilitation. SII provides community support. Private rehabilitation costs incurred before settlement are recovered as special damages in the claim. In some cases, interim payments can be sought from the High Court to fund immediate care needs while the case is ongoing.

Can I claim if I had a pre-existing spinal condition?

Yes. The eggshell skull rule means the defendant takes the claimant as they find them. If you had pre-existing spinal stenosis and a fall on unsafe premises caused your cord to become compressed, you can claim for the full consequences of the injury. The compensation will reflect the aggravation caused by the accident, supported by medical evidence distinguishing the pre-existing condition from the new injury.

Do I need a solicitor for a spinal injury claim?

You aren't legally required to use a solicitor, but catastrophic spinal injury claims involve High Court litigation, multi-disciplinary medical evidence, actuarial projections, and complex negotiation with insurers. The difference between a properly prepared claim and an underprepared one often amounts to hundreds of thousands of euro in special damages for lifetime care. A solicitor experienced in catastrophic injury claims will commission the right expert reports and present the evidence the court needs. At this point, you'll need to decide whether to instruct a solicitor with specific experience in catastrophic injuries or a general practice firm.

What happens if the occupier denies liability?

The occupier's insurer may argue there was no hazard, that the hazard was obvious and you should have avoided it, or that their cleaning and inspection system was adequate. Your solicitor will counter this with CCTV footage (if preserved), maintenance log gaps, witness evidence, and expert engineering reports. Contributory negligence is also a common defence. The court can reduce your award if it finds you were partly at fault, but a finding of 20% contributory negligence on a multi-million euro spinal claim still leaves a substantial award. The next step is to review the evidence with your solicitor to assess whether the occupier's defence holds up.

Can a family member make a spinal injury claim on behalf of someone who can't manage their own affairs?

Yes. A parent, guardian, or court-appointed committee can bring a claim on behalf of a person who lacks the capacity to manage legal proceedings. For children, a "next friend" (usually a parent) acts on the child's behalf. The two-year limitation period doesn't run while the person lacks capacity, so there's no time pressure to rush proceedings before the injured person has stabilised. This leads to the question of how interim payments work while the case is ongoing.

Are interim payments available while the claim is being prepared?

In cases involving catastrophic spinal injuries, the High Court can order interim payments to fund immediate care needs, housing adaptations, and equipment while the full claim is being assembled. Your solicitor applies for an interim payment by showing that the defendant is likely to be found liable and that the claimant has urgent financial needs that can't wait for the final resolution. Interim payments are deducted from the final award. They're particularly important in spinal injury cases because rehabilitation and care needs arise immediately, while the full claim may take three years or more to resolve.

Could you have a spinal injury claim?

Answer five questions to find out whether your situation may support a public liability spinal injury claim in Ireland. This tool provides general guidance only and doesn't constitute legal advice.

References

1. Personal Injuries Guidelines, Judicial Council of Ireland, adopted 6 March 2021. judicialcouncil.ie
2. Mohd Fuad INB, Smith É. Epidemiology of traumatic spinal cord injury in Ireland, 2017–2022. Spinal Cord Series and Cases. 2024;10(1):69. nature.com
3. Occupiers' Liability Act 1995 (Act No. 10 of 1995). irishstatutebook.ie
4. Injuries Resolution Board, Making a Claim (Updated 2025). injuries.ie
5. Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023 (Act No. 18 of 2023). irishstatutebook.ie
6. Civil Liability (Amendment) Act 2017 (Act No. 14 of 2017). irishstatutebook.ie
7. High Court: Periodic payment order legislation "a dead letter" in its current form. Irish Legal News, November 2019. irishlegal.com
8. Periodic payments in catastrophic injury cases to increase with inflation. Irish Legal News, July 2024. irishlegal.com
9. Personal Injuries Resolution Board Act 2022 (Act No. 18 of 2022). irishstatutebook.ie
10. The Spinal Cord System of Care (SCSC) Programme, National Rehabilitation Hospital. nrh.ie
11. Spinal Injuries Ireland (SII). spinalinjuries.ie
12. Statute of Limitations (Amendment) Act 1991 (Act No. 18 of 1991). irishstatutebook.ie
13. Delaney v The Personal Injuries Assessment Board [2024] IESC 10. Analysis: DWF Group (October 2024)
14. Buckley v Lenihan [2025] IEHC. Analysis: DAC Beachcroft (2025)
15. Civil Liability Act 1961 (Act No. 41 of 1961), Section 34 (Contributory Negligence). irishstatutebook.ie

Related guides on this topic: Public liability claims Ireland · Back injury claims · Slip, trip and fall claims · Public liability compensation · How to prove a claim · Elderly slip and fall claims

Last reviewed: 7 April 2026 by Gary Matthews, Principal Solicitor (Law Society of Ireland PC No. S8178). Next scheduled review: July 2026.

This information is for educational purposes only and does not 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.