Personal Injury Claims & Garda Compensation Claims

Hughes Murphy Solicitors have a committed and experienced team of Personal Injury Solicitors in Dublin who can help you evaluate your personal injury claim. From start to finish, we aim to make the whole process as straightforward and easy to understand as possible.

At Hughes Murphy we offer a comprehensive General Litigation and Personal Injury Claims Service. We represent both Personal Injury Plaintiffs and Defendants at all stages of the litigation process. Our firm has developed extensive expertise in Personal Injury (both work-related and road traffic accident claims) and general litigation.

We specialise in Injuries Board applications, liaising with the Motor Insurance Bureau and in handling Circuit Court and High Court cases relating to Road Traffic Accidents, Public Liability and Employer Liability cases.

Often when an accident occurs, the claimant is told that they do not need a solicitor or are put under pressure to accept a fast settlement offer from the Insurance Companies. Using the services of a Solicitor at this early stage in your Injury claim ensures your interests are being protected by professionals who have experience in dealing with the insurance companies and analysing how much your potential claim may be worth.

Where you have been injured in an accident through someone else’s fault, it is important that you act swiftly as there are strict time limits within which it is possible to commence your personal injury claim. In particular, you must put the person liable for your injuries on notice of your claim within 1 month of  the date of your injury.

Generally speaking, the time limit within which you must make a personal injury claim is two years from the date that you know you are injured as a result of an accident.  As a general rule, usually, this is two years from the date of the incident or injury.  However, there are some exceptions to this rule, for example, if you are under 18 then the two year period does not commence until you have reached the age of 18 years. You are advised to submit your completed application to the Injuries Board as soon as possible.

In view of the time restrictions, it is very important that you contact a personal injury solicitor as soon as possible after an accident to ascertain whether you have a case and to notify all relevant parties where you intend to make a claim for personal injuries.

In Personal Injury cases it is normal for a period of time to pass so that the injury and its impact can be assessed. Our experience shows that it is important that a case should not be settled before the client’s injuries have fully settled and we have a clear medical prognosis as to the future effects of any injury.

Hughes Murphy Solicitors in Dublin can offer expert legal advice on Personal Injury Claims. For further information on personal injury claims or to make an appointment phone 1800 910 912 or contact us here to arrange a callback.

Disclaimer: “In contentious business, a solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage or proportion of any award or settlement”.

The firm has an unrivalled expertise in the area of Garda Compensation dating back to 1982 and thousands of cases have been processed successfully since that date.

History was created in 1987 when the firm brought home the first case of compensation for a member of An Garda Síochána who had contracted hepatitis as a result of contact with a contaminated needle. Such was the medical knowledge at that time the case was split with the Judge awarding interim damages and reviewing the case some ten years later before making the final award.

This firm was also involved in a number of recent test cases in the Garda Compensation list. These cases related to the increase in the number of claims arising out of the fear of contracting a blood borne virus.

Hughes Murphy is proud to be one of the official Solicitors on the Panel of Solicitors with the Garda Representative Association. For further information on Garda Compensation claims or to make an appointment phone 1800 910 912 or contact us here to arrange a callback.

Who can apply for Garda Compensation

Members of An Garda Síochána who sustained injuries maliciously inflicted upon them in the performance of their duties or acting in their general capacity as a member of the force.

A member who is off duty and is assaulted by virtue of them being a member of the force may also apply for compensation.

The member must complete a Form 2A in order to apply for Garda Compensation. Please email info@hughesmurphy.com to request a Form 2A.

An application under the Garda Compensation Acts 2022 must, in most cases, be made within 6 months from the date the injury was inflicted or that you had reasonable knowledge of the injury.

In most cases, if your application is not received within that time then the case becomes statute barred and you will not receive any compensation. An application can be made to extend the time in certain circumstances.

The application must be accompanied by a Medical Report outlining the nature and extent of your injuries. It can take quite some time for a Doctor to prepare their Report and so this will need to be requested at an early stage, notwithstanding that your injuries may not yet have settled and the full nature and extent of your injuries may not yet be clear.

The receipt of the application is acknowledged by Compensation Section. If the application and supporting documents are complete and legible, the claim will be assigned to the Reporting Officer in Garda Compensation Section.

A preliminary examination of the application will be conducted to confirm whether the applicant is eligible to apply. If the applicant is eligible to apply they will receive a notification of same.

The review includes a decision as to whether or not the injuries were maliciously inflicted, as required by the legislation.

The applicant may provide any additional information or documentation in support of their application within 60 days from the date of notification.

The Reporting Officer may request further information or documents from the applicant and specify a time period in which this must be provided.

The Reporting Officer must make a determination within four months, with the possibility of an extension of up to two months in specified circumstances, where they have provided notice to the applicant and the Garda Commissioner or delegated Assistant Commissioner. Where a determination is not made within this period, the Act provides two weeks for the Reporting Officer to approve the application. An Investigation Report Template with supporting documentation can be sought from the relevant Divisional Officer/Chief Superintendent or Senior Manager by the Reporting Officer to assist in carrying out their function under the Act.

If the Reporting Officer makes a determination that the injury or death appears to have occurred as a result of a malicious incident, they provide a report to that effect.

The Garda Compensation Section will notify the applicant and arrange to submit an application to the Injuries Board on their behalf within 30 days.

The Injuries Board is an independent body which makes a financial assessment of the injuries you have sustained based on the evidence of your treating doctors, contained in their Medical Reports.

The State Claims Agency represent An Garda Síochána in the Injuries Board process.

When they receive an application, the Injuries Board then work on preparing an assessment and may send the member for independent medical examination.

Hughes Murphy Solicitors offers expert legal advice to all members of An Garda Síochána on Garda Compensation Claims. For further information on Garda Compensation or to make an appointment phone 1800 910 912 or contact us here to arrange a callback.