Book of Quantum

The Book of Quantum was created by the Injuries Board in 2003, to provide a general guideline on how much compensation a person should receive for an injury or injuries arising from an accident. The Book was compiled following a review of Court Judgements in respect of each and every injury listed in the Book and with a view to giving an approximate indication of the level of damage an injury would attract.

The Book gives a guide in respect of various injury types. The Book of Quantum is very detailed and will give you a value range based on the injury and severity.

The Book is separated into four main categories in terms of severity:

• Head
• Neck, Back & Trunk
• Arms
• Legs

There are approximately 4 categories in term of severity of injury/injuries:

• Minor  (injury or injuries that have mostly recovered)
• Moderate (injury or injuries that have mostly recovered but there are still some ongoing problems)
• Moderately severe (injury or injuries that have resulted in a permanent effect on the body part injured)
• Severe and permanent (injury or injuries that have caused major impacts on day to day life or that require permanent medical care and attention)

The category of the severity of the injury will be determined by the effect an injury will have on your life and long term effects caused as a result.

The Injuries Board apply the Book of Quantum to all cases it is allowed to assess. Therefore, it is important to note that all claims submitted to the Injuries Board must have a medical report detailing the injuries sustained.  It is very important that the injured party submitting a medical report is fully satisfied that the contents of the medical report fully reflect the injury or injuries sustained.

Where there are multiple injuries, it is not correct to simply add one injury to the other injury to come up with a total. It does not happen this way. It is more correct to identify the most significant injury and then adjust that value range to incorporate any other less serious injury in order to arrive at a more accurate assessment.  It is important to remember that the Book of Quantum is a guide only and is not an exact science and no two injuries are the same and will be.

The Book of Quantum deals only with General Damages (money payment for pain and suffering to date and into the future).   It does not cover special damages (out or pocket expenses for example, loss of earnings, medical expenses).

Furthermore, the Book of Quantum does not take into account issues such as contributory negligence (where a person contributes partially to their own injury, for example, not wearing a seat belt if involved in a road traffic accident) or liability. The Book of Quantum solely deals with injuries and a guide to compensation.

A Judge at the hearing of a personal injuries action must have regard to the Book of Quantum when arriving at his decision on the amount of general damages to award for an injury or injuries.

Conntact us at Cantillons Solicitors at +353 (0)21 -4275673 or info@cantillons.com if you would like more information on making personal injury claims.

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

Jody Cantillon

Partner

Experience

Jody is a Partner in our Litigation Department.

Having graduated from University College Cork in 2009, Jody completed his apprenticeship with a top litigation defence firm in Cork City and qualified as a Solicitor in 2014.

Prior to joining Cantillons Solicitors in 2016, Jody worked for a leading Dublin firm, specialising in the area of commercial litigation and dispute resolution. There he gained valuable experience in defending and prosecuting high end, large scale commercial disputes before the Commercial Court.