Kildare Cyclists And E-Scooter Users Awarded Over €171k Amid Nationwide €9.8M Road Injury Payouts

Thursday, 12 December 2024 13:19

By Martin Osborne

Claimants with minor severity injuries were awarded an average of €14,076.

Local cyclists and E-scooter users are 11 times more likely to be seriously injured in a road crash than a motorist.

Analysis of personal injury claims from last year show 1 in 5 cyclists needed hospitalisation after being injured while 3 in 5 people injured on an e-scooter were between 18 and 35 years old.

For Kildare, the total amount awarded to injured cyclists and e-scooter users was €171,991 in 2023.

Across the country, 9.8 million euro was paid out in compensation to cyclists and scooter users in 2023.

The award amounts varied significantly with case severity.

Claimants with minor severity injuries were awarded an average of €14,076 (€11,642 in general damages and €2,434 in special damages).

Those with moderate severity injuries were awarded on average, €40,401, while claimants with severe or serious injuries were awarded on average, €72,877

Cyclists received approximately 36% higher average award values than e-scooter users, with an average of €27,837 in total damages compared to €20,513 for e-scooter users. Under special damages,cyclists were awarded significantly more (€4,082) compared to e-scooter users (€1,279).

This disparity is primarily due to differences in the demographics of the user groups; a substantial proportion of e-scooter users are students or unemployed/retired individuals, leading to fewer claims for loss of income compared to cyclists.

Report author Dr Lauren Swan authored the report and outlines where most of the injuries happened.