The injuries Board has released figures showing that during 2009, 22 public liability claims were awarded in the county, bringing the total compensation given to these claimants to €565,312.
Nationally €33 million in awards was made to 1,443 claimants. Females account for seven out of every ten claimants and slips, trips and falls cause most public liability accidents. Just over half of the accidents under review took place in privately owned establishments – with one in four occurring in a retail/shopping outlet, one in five in a hotel/pub/nightclub or restaurant and 7 per cent in leisure facilities like sports clubs/gyms and cinemas. Almost a quarter of PL awards were made against Local Authorities and a further eight involved transport and utility services.
Commenting, Patricia Byron, Chief Executive, Injuriesboard.ie said: “The findings are especially valuable to Health and Safety professionals in their risk assessments and enable scarce resources to be focused on the most critical areas. Even during difficult economic times, investing in accident prevention can save money for organisations that enjoy a significant public footfall on their property. Of course, consumers must also take responsibility for accident prevention and be vigilant to the risks they face.”
