Four in 10 believe ‘easy money’ and big payouts are reasons for large volume of injury claims

Many also believe the high value of payments when there is a settlement encourages people to make a claim, ­research conducted for the Injuries Resolution Board has shown.

The market research found four in 10 of those who responded feel claims are made because payments are easy to get and because of the big payouts.

This might explain why one-third of adults feel the claims process is unfair due to the number of fraudulent claims and excessive compensation amounts, said Amárach Research, which conducted the survey.

The board, which has changed its name from the Personal Injuries Assessment Board, commissioned the research to mark 20 years since it was established.

Reforms have been instituted in the last few years to tackle what insurance reform campaigners have said is a ­“compo culture” in Ireland.

The ease with which some people are able to make claims has been singled out by insurers in explaining the high cost of cover.

Amárach research found claims are mostly made for genuine reasons. It found that those injured want to recoup financial losses or to compensate for pain and suffering caused by the injury.

This is particularly the case for the over-55s, who have a greater tendency to make a claim as they are much more likely to have experienced an accident.

The board said: “For the most part, it is believed claims are made for a genuine reasons.

“However, four in 10 believe claims are made because payments are easy to get and because of the value of claims.”

Asked if they had been injured in an accident, four in 10 said they had been injured, but only one-third of these went on to make a personal injury claim.

This is equivalent to 13pc of the ­wider population.

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Researchers found there is good awareness of the board, and this is highest among those aged 55 and over.

The compensation claims process is widely believed to have an impact on insurance costs.

Half of adults experienced increases in the premiums they were charged last year and this year, which again was highest among the over-55s.

Last month, the Supreme Court decided the personal injury award guidelines voted in by judges three years ago are legally binding.

The insurers had promised cuts in the cost of cover if they achieved these reforms.

The guidelines have seen award ­levels come down by up to 40pc.

Duty-of-care legislation had been updated to the benefit of insurers, while a dedicated garda fraud office has been set up.

However, motor, home and health insurance costs are on the rise again, with the industry citing a variety of reasons for the higher costs of cover.

The cost of motor premiums rose for the eighth time last month, Central Statistics Office figures show.

Brian Hanley, of the Alliance for Insurance Reform, said it was “impossible to justify” continuing increases in the cost of premiums when the volume of claims and the size of awards was decreasing and government reforms had been delivered for insurers.

He said the Injuries Resolution Board-commissioned research showed premiums were rising for the majority of people.

The most recent figures, for 2022, show insurers’ profits have increased by 55pc when compared with the year before, Mr Hanley said.