Young Drivers being forced to pay for Government indecision

 Ireland pays out some of the highest compensation rewards in Europe.  This is the first issue which needs to be tackled. Below is a statement from September of last year. As you will see, this is not new information, this has been coming for a number of years. The government, and the insurance companies have been warned about it and yet have taken no preventative action. Instead they have allowed the situation to worsen and of course, put the cost of this inaction on the shoulders of young drivers.

We will be organising a national protest as soon a government is formed. We will need volunteers from each county possible to organise support and make sure local TD's support our action. Let us know via facebook, instagram, snapchat or email info@ireland-underground.com if you are in a position to help.

• Excessive Cost of Claims in Ireland Leading to Increases in Motor Premiums

• Average cost of whiplash in Ireland is €15k, average cost in the UK is €5k

• Other factors such as Setanta judgment will also impact premiums in Ireland

Issued Tuesday, 15 September, 2015.  Insurance Ireland, which represents 95% of the domestic and international based insurance sector in Ireland, held a briefing today to discuss the issues contributing to increases in premiums for customers, particularly in the area of motor insurance.  Insurance Ireland has identified the high cost of awards in court as one of the key factors driving up the cost of insurance premiums.  Other factors include legal costs, fraud and most recently, the High Court’s judgment in relation to Setanta Insurance. Insurance Ireland believes a range of measures are needed to stabilise pricing for consumers, particularly in the area of motor premiums.Speaking at today’s briefing, Kevin Thompson, CEO, Insurance Ireland, said “Motor claims costs are rising.  The level of awards being made in the Courts is at an all-time high.  The average High Court award in 2014 was up 34% on 2013 and the average Circuit Court award was up 14% on 2013.  In litigated cases, legal costs in Ireland account for more than 60% of the compensation awarded.”“Motor injury awards made by the Injuries Board averaged €21k in 2014, a very high average considering that 80% of motor injury claims are for whiplash” said Kevin Thompson, “The figures on whiplash alone are very stark; in Ireland the average award for whiplash is €15k, in the UK, the corresponding figure is €5k. The reality is that premiums are dictated by claims costs, and although the Irish market is very competitive, increases in the cost of claims will inevitably lead to increases in premiums.”The increasing cost of awards made in the Courts:The level of personal injury awards in Ireland is increasing as the following table shows:              High Court                 Circuit Court                  €                            €2014:      304,353                      13,5502013:      227,321                      11,9412012:      252,146                      11,4522011:     215,730                       12,3622010:     219,303                       12,662

How to claim from the County Council for Damage to your car

There's no denying it, the roads in Ireland are in pretty bad shape. "In Shite" some would say! As a result of this, it's pretty difficult to keep our wagons in a decent state of repair. From burst tyres, misaligned tracking and dodgy suspension, many are caused (or at least helped along) by the appaling state of the nation's roads.

With that in mind, we at Ireland-underground.com have looked into exactly how you can hold your local county council responsible for damage caused by dodgy roads, and get them to pay for it in the process.

For starters, there are three legal terms which cover this. "Nonfeasance", "Malfeasance" and "Misfeasance". The last one is the most important in this case, we'll get to that in a moment.

Here's the explanation of those terms.

- Nonfeasance is defined as the neglect or failure to do some act which ought to be done, e.g. failing to keep the road in repair.

- Misfeasance means doing a lawful act in a negligent manner

-Malfeasance is defined as the doing of an unlawful act, e.g.                                                                   trespass.

The important thing to note here is that, in the event of "Nonfeasance" the council is not responsible. So, if the council makes no effort to repair the road, by law they do not have to accept responsibility for any damage done to your car as a result. There was an attempt to change this situation by Section 60 of the Civil Liability Act 1961, but the minister of the time refused to sign off on it.

However, in the event of "Misfeacance" the council IS responsible and should, by law, compensate you for your claim. Basically, if the council has attempted to repair the road, but made a shitty job of it.

The burden of proof is down to the driver, so when the damage happens, you need to prove that there is evidence there that the council have made an attempt to repair the road. Take pictures of the road, and the damage to your vehicle.

The best example of this is where potholes have been filled in, yet the road is still uneven and bumpy.

This won't guarantee you anything, but it's the best shot you'll have. Please share this to make everyone aware.

Sick of soaring insurance costs? Join the fight against the extortion of young drivers here

Noonan blames legal costs and huge payouts for high insurance prices

taken from http://www.independent.ie/

The minister has blamed an "increased engagement of solicitors in the handling of claims" as one of the main causes for rising costs.

However, Mr Noonan also said that he has no power to interfere in the cost of insurance products.

He noted the number of claims coming before the courts remains "steady" but a greater number of people are taking their case to the High Court, rather than the Circuit Court, in a bid to get a larger pay-out.

"This reportedly leads to cases taking longer to settle and increased cost per claim," Mr Noonan said.

Premiums, particularly for motorists, have soared by as much as 30pc in the past year.

Among a series of reasons listed by Mr Noonan was the "improving economic conditions" and "a comparatively high level of insurance fraud".

A Review of Policy in the Insurance Sector is being undertaken in consultation with the Central Bank and other Departments and Agencies.

His Fine Gael colleague and Jobs Minister Richard Bruton suggested rules which regulate awards handed down by the courts should be reviewed to allow more consistency.

He said this would end claimants "feeling the courts (service) is almost like lottery".

Mr Bruton said more cases should be dealt with by the Personal Injury Assessment Board (PIAB) as a "non-legalistic" alternative, pointing out that awards have remained "stable".

"They handle about 12,000 out of 34,000 [claims], handling less than a third," he said.

"We need to have much more knowledge of what is happening outside the PIAB than inside."

But Fianna Fáil's Dara Calleary said that the board was limited by the legal service.

"It has frustrated at every turn at a legal community who do not want to lose control of this particular market," he said.

"It is a very lucrative market for themselves."

On flood insurance, Mr Noonan said it was important that homeowners in at-risk areas have access to cover.

"A fully functioning insurance sector should be able to provide this at a reasonable cost," he said.

"My officials are undertaking research in the area of flood insurance which will include an analysis of the different approaches to flood insurance taken in other countries."

Link to original article http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/noonan-blames-legal-costs-and-huge-payouts-for-high-insurance-prices-34646378.html

Car insurance for Young Drivers

On Saturday we reported that we were launching a national campaign against the extortion of young drivers by insurance companies. Today, after speaking with Martin ferris TD, we are happy to announce that the Sinn Féin party are bringing the issue to Dáil Éireann this week.

We are happy to see at least one political party make a genuine effort to put this on the national agenda. The motion will be tabled by deputy Pearse Doherty.

We will monitor the reaction from the other parties, if the issue seems to be taken seriously then we will continue to lobby the government until we get real results. If not, we will be organising a mass protest in Dublin.

Keep an eye on our website and Facebook for more details.

Want to take action against this injustice? Check out our previous post

A Call to Action

As all us motorists will know, insurance premiums have become almost entirely un-affordable. Massive compensation payouts and fraudulent claims, supported by a judicial system which makes it easier to pay out rather than fight the false claims, have resulted in insurance companies pushing the cost of premiums up massively.

Here at Ireland-underground.com, we are leading the fight against these extortionate premiums. We are collecting examples of over priced premiums, collating the results and will be bringing them before the relevant ministers. You can help by sending examples to info@ireland-underground.com.

We have already discussed the issue the Michael Healy-Rae TD who has sat before insurance companies in relation to this issue. From speaking with him, it is clear that fraudulent claims are the primary reason for the hike in costs. The cost of fighting fraudulent claims in court far outweighs the cost of simply paying out, so this is what the insurance companies are doing. We need to fight back against this, we need the court system to take a firmer stance on these claims, no more €30,000 payouts for "whiplash". We also need to fight against the insurance companies loading the additional cost on younger drivers. We are hard pressed enough as it is.

If we cannot get anything in motion from the political system, we will organise a mass demonstration in Dublin. We will bring thousands of cars along all the major roadways into Dublin and bring the city to a standstill. 

This fight is just beginning, we will persevere, we will be heard, we will win!