Uninsured Motorist Claim
If you're unlucky enough to be involved in a vehicle accident, it can be even more distressing to discover that the driver of the other vehicle involved in the accident was driving without insurance, as required by UK law.
It is estimated that there are at least 1.3 million people driving on UK roads without insurance and that these drivers cost the British insurance industry over £500 million a year. The reason for this cost is that it is actually possible to claim compensation for injuries caused by uninsured drivers, which is done through a central scheme. The Motor Insurers' Bureau (or MIB for short) is a body set up by the insurance industry to take the place of the guilty party in these cases.
Every motor insurer in the UK makes statutory contributions to the MIB (adding an estimated £30 on top of each motor policy for legitimate drivers) and claims against uninsured drivers can then be made to the MIB under the 'Uninsured Drivers Agreement' with the MIB paying out if you can prove your injuries are sufficient for compensation, and provided that you can prove causation – that is, a link between the incident and your injury.
Research shows that uninsured drivers are more likely to be involved in an accident than insured drivers, and are more likely to be prosecuted for driving without due care and attention. If you are involved in an accident, try to take down the other car's registration and details of the vehicle – make, model, colour etc. Also try to note down anything that was said to you by the other driver, as well as any damage inflicted to the other vehicle.
This will make the driver easier to trace and provide stronger evidence for the police in tracking the other driver. It is important to know that the police do not necessarily have to prosecute the other driver (or even identify them, as there is a similar arrangement in place regarding unidentified drivers) although a stronger police case will help your claim.
You should be able to get assistance with your claim from a solicitor on a 'no win, no fee' basis, meaning that if you are unsuccessful in your claim, you will not be liable for any fees to the solicitor. If you are successful, the solicitor is likely to take a percentage of your compensation, but they will advise you of what percentage when taking on your case.
Although this may sound off putting, you should remember that expert advice can make your claim more likely to succeed and can help you to claim for the full level of compensation that you may be entitled to. If a solicitor decides not to take on the case, this can also help you to consider whether it is worth the time and the hassle of pursuing your claim, as solicitors will usually take on a case if they believe it has a reasonable chance of success (on the other hand, some may reject a strong case if they feel the likely level of compensation is too low – in this instance, it can be worth pursuing a claim to the MIB directly yourself); additionally you should always remember the MIB's £350 excess for all claims.
Every motor insurer in the UK makes statutory contributions to the MIB (adding an estimated £30 on top of each motor policy for legitimate drivers) and claims against uninsured drivers can then be made to the MIB under the 'Uninsured Drivers Agreement' with the MIB paying out if you can prove your injuries are sufficient for compensation, and provided that you can prove causation – that is, a link between the incident and your injury.
Research shows that uninsured drivers are more likely to be involved in an accident than insured drivers, and are more likely to be prosecuted for driving without due care and attention. If you are involved in an accident, try to take down the other car's registration and details of the vehicle – make, model, colour etc. Also try to note down anything that was said to you by the other driver, as well as any damage inflicted to the other vehicle.
This will make the driver easier to trace and provide stronger evidence for the police in tracking the other driver. It is important to know that the police do not necessarily have to prosecute the other driver (or even identify them, as there is a similar arrangement in place regarding unidentified drivers) although a stronger police case will help your claim.
You should be able to get assistance with your claim from a solicitor on a 'no win, no fee' basis, meaning that if you are unsuccessful in your claim, you will not be liable for any fees to the solicitor. If you are successful, the solicitor is likely to take a percentage of your compensation, but they will advise you of what percentage when taking on your case.
Although this may sound off putting, you should remember that expert advice can make your claim more likely to succeed and can help you to claim for the full level of compensation that you may be entitled to. If a solicitor decides not to take on the case, this can also help you to consider whether it is worth the time and the hassle of pursuing your claim, as solicitors will usually take on a case if they believe it has a reasonable chance of success (on the other hand, some may reject a strong case if they feel the likely level of compensation is too low – in this instance, it can be worth pursuing a claim to the MIB directly yourself); additionally you should always remember the MIB's £350 excess for all claims.
