25k for 4 and a half minutes.....

Involved in charitable project that is shutting down after 20 years of service due to vexatious and frivolous insurance claims. Insurance companies have little option but to "pencil in" €25k for each and every claim and as they take years to come to court - legal fees 60-70% of the award - and the premiums remain sky high until resolved. We are a very dishonest country in many ways: we won't pay for basic services, have a bloated public service and expect everything for nothing. Those in a position to make changes have a vested interest in the status quo unfortunately.

Surely a more practical solution is for a "tab" to be run directly by the court/justice system where these that claim to have mental scars etc can get the finest treatment instead of having the worry of a big load of money on top of that?
I'm not for a second saying anything like the majority of cases aren't genuine but i wonder what percentage where alleged trauma suffered is somewhat "laid on"? Quite high i would think.
Shame regarding a charitable project, i well believe it.

can hardly blame folk for trying it on seen as the guards are never out of the goldmines suing for some ptsd from chasing criminals and rta's. army deafness too was a load of balls but they cleaned up. and remember norris the pres hopeful has form. in fact im traumatized just thinking about it. below is a classic from ags
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/high-court/garda-gets-35...

A lawyer and an engineer were fishing in the Caribbean.

The lawyer said, "I'm here because my house burned down, and everything I owned was destroyed by the fire. The insurance company paid for everything."

That's quite a coincidence," said the engineer. "I'm here because my house and all my belongings were destroyed by a flood, and my insurance company also paid for everything."

The puzzled lawyer asked, "How do you start a flood?"

Have been reading 'Black Box Thinking' by Matthew Syed which contrasts the aviation and medical industries respective abilities to learn from their failures.  Excellent and appalling, respectively.

In the US alone the number of premature deaths associated with preventable harm is estimated at 400,000 per year...or the equivalent of 2 747's falling from the sky every day.

Preventable medical error is the 3rd biggest killer in the US behind only heart disease and cancer.  And this is only in hospitals...it excludes nursing homes, care centres etc.

Preventable medical error also known as human error

Human error can never be removed from the system.

Naturally, but it can be dramatically reduced. 

By, for example, adpoting some of the learning mechanisms commonplace in the aviation industry.  Instead of sweeping them under the carpet.

My animus to compensation seekers is well known.

Maxheadroom is dead right about the ludicrous situation of Guards being compensated for doing their job.
The nadir was reached when a Louth TD sued for deafness because he once was in the FCA band.

The legal profession are absolutely to blame,top of the list are the Judiciary.
They all get Bono/Geldof syndrome,a mania to give away others money.
They are now disgracefully pursuing a pay claim by ruling against the State (us) in every case.

RTE are also to blame in their lauding of the compensation seekers and in the case of the HSE not permitting any defence.
Infant mortality is now mercifully rare but its now a path to riches.
RTE presenters speak in hushed tones as they hear the same old guff " I don't want any other family to go through this " " thank my brilliant legal theme " and having striped the State for as much as they can they should tell the truth and say " see you I'm off to Barbados "

She will be some sight walking into the gents urinals and slipping down the jeans and positioning herself correctly as she is scared of the cubicles.

Wildman as a matter of interest who was the Louth TD. I missed that story

The Judges and the legal profession are not to blame, they are upholding the law as it stands.

The blame lies with the legislatorsin the Dail. Have the guts to change the laws but then that is not a vote winner.Much better to attend funerals rather than legislate

Temlett