Settlements of worker´s personal injury claims against Dublin City Council in the past three years have amounted to more than €2.3 million according to figures recently released.
The figures do not take into account 155 employees´ personal injury claims against Dublin City Council which were still outstanding at the end of 2012, with 37 claims of those claims before the High Court due to their potential settlement value, 46 at Circuit Court level and 72 still in the pre-proceedings stage.
In 2012 alone, 65 worker´s personal injury claims against Dublin City Council were made; of which 49 claims were settled for €1,001,370 (47 settled for €925,438 in 2011/42 settled for €465,647 in 2010) with the other 16 still outstanding.
None of the claims for employee injuries against Dublin City Council were processed through mediation or Alternative Dispute Resolution (ARD) – a fact which disappointed independent city councillor Nial Ring.
Himself a qualified mediator, Mr Ring said “”I’m well aware of the benefits of ARD and I’m surprised that it hasn’t been taken up in these cases. Its benefits in terms of cost savings and speedy resolutions are well known.”
A city council spokesperson confirmed that settlements of worker´s personal injury claims against Dublin City Council which were below €500,000 were paid out of Dublin city funds. “Mediation is used by the city council whenever possible” she commented. “It must first be agreed to by all parties concerned in the action.”
The volume and value of employees´ personal injury claims for compensation against Dublin City Council does not include any of the hundreds of claims for personal injury compensation from members of the public who have been injured on city property or due to the negligence of a Dublin City Council employee. Last year (2012) more than €6 million was paid out in compensation to members of the public by Dublin City Council; with the average settlement of an injury claim just over €11,000.