Untraced Drivers Compensation
It is a legal requirement in the UK to have insurance cover to at least cover other drivers and pedestrians if using a motorised vehicle on public roads. However, it may be the case that you are involved in an accident in which it is impossible to trace the party at the time of the accident (e.g. a 'hit and run' incident).
In this situation, you may be able to make a claim via the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) under the established 'Untraced Drivers Agreement'. The MIB is a company with a statutory requirement to offer protection to innocent victims of uninsured and untraced drivers, and is funded by compulsory contributions from vehicle insurance companies - it is estimated that around £30 from every vehicle insurance policy in the UK is money towards the Motor Insurers' Bureau scheme. An MIB claim means that you are essentially claiming from the MIB as though they were the guilty party.
To be able to make a claim, it is necessary that the accident is reported to the police within fourteen days of occurrence for personal injury claims, or within five days for claims relating to damage to property. For any such compensation relating to physical property there is an excess of £300 to pay, and also a requirement that the damage must have occurred within the previous nine months. For personal injury claims, the injury must have occurred within the last three years. It is advisable to seek specialist legal advice when seeking a claim from the Motor Insurers' Bureau. This might mean that you have to pay some of your compensation to the solicitor, but it will also mean your case has a stronger chance of succeeding as specialist solicitors will be experienced in a range of MIB claim cases. It may also mean that your solicitor is able to better present your claim than you would be able to alone, and enable you to receive your full entitlement to compensation, whilst at the same time, many solicitors will not ask for fees if your claim is not successful (i.e. a 'no win, no fee' case). They will also be able to advise you on the likely range of any compensation, which might give you an indication as to whether you feel it is actually worth pursuing your claim, given the time and expense, and the MIB standard excess.
It might also be possible to make a claim against your own policy if you have a fully comprehensive insurance policy. However, you should consider the size of the excess on the policy, and the effect that this might have on any applicable no claims bonus. For these details, you should check your policy, which you may wish to have examined by a specialist solicitor.
Before taking any action, you should be sure to work as fully as possible with the police and with your own insurers to give the best chance of tracing the driver. In respect of your claim, this is in your best interests as you are likely to have a stronger and larger claim potential, as well as this being the most just course of action.
In this situation, you may be able to make a claim via the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) under the established 'Untraced Drivers Agreement'. The MIB is a company with a statutory requirement to offer protection to innocent victims of uninsured and untraced drivers, and is funded by compulsory contributions from vehicle insurance companies - it is estimated that around £30 from every vehicle insurance policy in the UK is money towards the Motor Insurers' Bureau scheme. An MIB claim means that you are essentially claiming from the MIB as though they were the guilty party.
To be able to make a claim, it is necessary that the accident is reported to the police within fourteen days of occurrence for personal injury claims, or within five days for claims relating to damage to property. For any such compensation relating to physical property there is an excess of £300 to pay, and also a requirement that the damage must have occurred within the previous nine months. For personal injury claims, the injury must have occurred within the last three years. It is advisable to seek specialist legal advice when seeking a claim from the Motor Insurers' Bureau. This might mean that you have to pay some of your compensation to the solicitor, but it will also mean your case has a stronger chance of succeeding as specialist solicitors will be experienced in a range of MIB claim cases. It may also mean that your solicitor is able to better present your claim than you would be able to alone, and enable you to receive your full entitlement to compensation, whilst at the same time, many solicitors will not ask for fees if your claim is not successful (i.e. a 'no win, no fee' case). They will also be able to advise you on the likely range of any compensation, which might give you an indication as to whether you feel it is actually worth pursuing your claim, given the time and expense, and the MIB standard excess.
It might also be possible to make a claim against your own policy if you have a fully comprehensive insurance policy. However, you should consider the size of the excess on the policy, and the effect that this might have on any applicable no claims bonus. For these details, you should check your policy, which you may wish to have examined by a specialist solicitor.
Before taking any action, you should be sure to work as fully as possible with the police and with your own insurers to give the best chance of tracing the driver. In respect of your claim, this is in your best interests as you are likely to have a stronger and larger claim potential, as well as this being the most just course of action.
