There was €7.7m in total damages awarded by the Injuries Resolution Board to those seeking compensation for farm-related injuries between 2019 and 2024, according to a report released by the mediation body.

The role of the Injuries Resolution Board is to neutrally mediate and assess personal injury claims without the commencement of costly legal proceedings.

It sets compensation in line with court guidelines and the body states that it saves insurance policyholders and businesses millions each year by cutting legal bills in the settling of personal injury claims.

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2023 was the highest year for total award value for farm injuries out of the window assessed in the report, as it saw in excess of €1.6m awarded in compensation.

This was followed by 2021 at over €1.4m and last year with €1.2m. Although total award values have generally increased each year since 2019, they were down by just under one third in 2024.

Fluctuations

The number of awards for farm-related injuries trended in line with fluctuations in overall compensation values, peaking in 2023 at 36 awards before dropping to 25 awards last year.

The board found that this trend follows Health and Safety Authority data, which shows that the number of non-fatal farm safety incidents fell.

Some 6% of all awards assessed by the board were valued above €100,000 over the six years, 24% were for below €20,000 and 31% were for €20,000 to €40,000.

The largest single claim assessed related to one of the 11 fatal farm incidents assessed by the board, which saw €269,945 awarded.

One in four farm incidents settled by the board resulted in severe injury, with the equivalent figure for workplace safety incidents across all sectors of the economy coming to just 10%.

This level of life-altering incidents as a proportion of the total assessed, the board said, drives the median value of farm-related injury compensation to €34,802, more than twice the equivalent for workplace incidents in general.

Incident type

Just under one fifth of claims related to incidents involving animals, while contact with a sharp, projected or falling object was the next most commonly reported incident type assessed, accounting for 17% of the total

Falls from height accounted for 15% of the cases assessed, trips or slips for another 13% and crushing or pinching for another 13%.

Tipperary was the county with the highest value in compensation awarded against it at €1.1m over the six years, followed by Meath at €707,000 and Cork at €656,000.

Of the total compensation awarded, 86% was in respect of general damages for the injury sustained, such as pain and suffering, while the remainder was awarded for special damages such as compensating for medical bills, lost wages or repairs.