Women are much more likely than men to suffer an accident in a public place and the summer months are the most dangerous period for such accidents, the Injuries Board has said.

According to an analysis by the board, the peak period for public place accidents are Saturdays in July.

The Injuries Board is the independent State body responsible for making statutory personal injury awards in respect of motor, employer and public liability accidents, i.e. accidents that occur in a public place.

Last year, while the summer months were found to be the most dangerous period for public place accidents, the overall highest frequency of accidents that resulted in compensation awards took place during July.

During 2014, the Injuries Board made over 2,100 public liability awards, with compensation totaling €53 million. This is significantly higher than 2013's figures of 1,768 awards and €44 million in compensation.

The board noted that over the last three years, women have been far more likely to suffer an accident in a public place than men. Last year, almost 69% of all public liability awards involved women.

Slips, trips and falls continue to be the main cause of public liability accidents, making up 70% of all public liability awards. The most common causes of these types of accidents are broken or uneven footpaths and wet or slippery surfaces.

Most claims in relation to such accidents involved soft tissue injuries or minor fractures.

The business premises that are most likely to be the subject of public liability claims are shops, supermarkets and shopping centres.

Half of awards made last year were for under €20,000 and just 10 awards were for figures in excess of €100,000. The average public liability award in 2014 was for €24,677.

According to Stephen Watkins of the Injuries Board, the peak in accidents during the summer months ‘stands to reason'.

"This is a time when children are on school holidays, people take holidays from work, and there are greatly increased numbers of people out and about enjoying the huge range of festivals, sporting events, and outdoor activities taking place throughout the country," he noted.

Meanwhile, the analysis also revealed that the highest number of awards by county last year went to Dublin (779), Cork (211) and Limerick (155). The lowest number went to Leitrim (nine).

For more information on the Injuries Board, click here