Marc Hickey, New Partner & Head of Commercial Litigation at HF Ireland
Marc Hickey has joined HF Ireland, as Partner & Head of Commercial Litigation Ireland. As part of the firm’s continued...
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We have significant experience in Employers’ Liability cases, with a large proportion of their work based in workplace related injury claims. The majority of these are Circuit and High Court actions; however, with the introduction of the Personal Injuries Guidelines (“the Guidelines”) in April 2022 – and their emphasis on a reduced level of award for personal injury actions – there is expected to be a surge in District Court based Employers’ Liability cases over the coming months and years.
A lot of our work comes from Public Liability instructions – both litigation and coverage based. In addition to handling litigated files from inception at Injuries Board level to conclusion, the team regularly advise on a range of coverage issues for clients and have significant experience acting for a diverse array of clients, such as those based in the hospitality and services industry, from restaurants to shops to bars and hotels, and from facility & security service providers to event organisers and supplier and delivery-based entities.
We can assist with all types of litigation arising from motor claims to include serious injury; cross border litigation; LVI; counter fraud; credit hire and material damage including challenging inflated repair invoices. We can also provide guidance and strategies to manage motor claims to increase efficiency and take control of the process at an early stage to ensure that you set the pace and influence the choice of repairing garage or hire provider.
We have extensive experience in dealing with claims involving property damage including from fire, escape of water and other perils. We advise on: indemnity disputes arising from first party property damage,
the defence of policyholders against incoming property damage claims, the pursuit of subrogated recoveries where you have paid out for property damage potentially caused by another.
Credit hire is not common within the Irish market and for that reason significant savings can be made via early negotiations, particularly in injury cases. The PIAB doesn’t make full provision for large credit hire claims, and most of the hire providers pursuing claims in this market know this. We have a wealth of experience in reducing credit hire claims and challenging spurious additional charges, unlike many firms in the jurisdiction, who are unlikely to have had the same level of exposure to hire claims across Ireland.
Our experience and well-honed strategies implemented across the UK means we are uniquely placed to aggressively tackle fraud within the Irish market. Ireland has a reputation as the claims capital of Europe and there are many reasons for this: the high awards compared to other jurisdictions; the simplicity of the PIAB process; the apparently pro-plaintiff courts and eye-watering legal costs, amongst other things.
We regularly advise on an array of policy indemnity-based issues; from queries surrounding potential late notification, to the operation and effect of certain conditions precedent to liability, to niche queries concerning the interpretation of clauses and their retrospective application in policy disputes.
We recognise that an insurer’s ability to recover their outlay is fundamental to enhancing their customer’s journey, as well as growing their business and improving cash flow. We are experienced and, importantly, very efficient at carrying out this essential function on behalf of our clients. We aim to reduce lifecycles and change behaviours in the market.
Given the complexity of these claims we work closely and collaboratively with our clients throughout the life of a claim. Early advice is crucial for these claims along with sensitive handling. Our team is experienced in many types of claim, including fatal accidents, spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries, complex multiple injury cases and abuse claims.
For expert legal advice from real people in our specialist teams, get in touch – we look forward to hearing from you.
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