Claims against Uninsured Drivers

If you are involved in a ‘hit and run’ accident or the other driver is uninsured the Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB) will deal with your claim for compensation. They are funded by the insurance industry. 

If an uninsured driver hits you we will need to make a claim to the MIB on your behalf by completing an MIB claim form. We will need to investigate your claim in the same way as we would if the other driver was insured.

If you are involved in a ‘hit & run’ accident where you do not have the identity of the other driver the MIB will consider your claim. In these cases they will make all the necessary investigations and if they are satisfied you have a claim that would have been successful against the other driver had his identity been known they will award damages. The amount awarded in damages will be equivalent to an amount that would be awarded by the courts.

The MIB are not obliged to pay your costs if you are injured in a ‘hit & run’ accident. They will usually make a contribution towards your costs and you will be responsible for any shortfall.

In the event of claims against uninsured drivers, if the MIB are satisfied that the other driver was legally responsible for the cause of the accident they will make an offer of compensation.

If you do not agree with the MIB assessment or the amount of the offer you can proceed to issue a claim at court against the uninsured driver and if successful, the MIB will pay the amount awarded at court. This means you will recover your compensation and legal costs in the same way as if the driver had been insured.

What will you need to prove?

In order to make a successful personal injury claim against an uninsured driver, you will need to show that:

• You have been involved in an accident; and
• The accident was not your fault; and
• As a result of the accident you have suffered from personal injury and or damage to your property

What can we do for you?

We regularly act on behalf of people injured by uninsured drivers.  If you are looking to make a claim for compensation, then we can assist you as follows:

• We can give you a free initial consultation over the phone & provide you with free legal advice which is jargon free, with no hassle and no catches, where we’ll assess the merits of your claim
• If we think you have a valid case, we’ll arrange an appointment for us to meet – as solicitors with many years of experience, we believe our clients value face-to-face client contact
• We will assign to you one of our solicitors who will be a specialist in your type of case and who will be your point of contact throughout your case. We will provide you with their phone number and e-mail address so you can keep in contact at all times.
• We will fully investigate your claim and keep you informed at every stage.
• We will help to ensure that you receive the maximum compensation for your injuries.
• We will try to keep things running as efficiently as possible, so you can continue with your life and leave all the hard work to us.

What steps can you take to minimise any dispute and maximise your chance your chances of success?

To help your case, you should take names, addresses and telephone numbers of any witnesses to the accident and take photographs of the accident & its location if possible. You should also contact the Police immediately and report the incident.

If you suffer financial losses, such as loss of earnings, as a result of your accident you should ensure that you keep all receipts, invoices and other documents that may support your claim.

Most importantly do not delay in calling us, as you must submit your claim within three years following the accident. If you do not issue your claim in court within 3 years your claim will be statute barred and you may not be able to claim the compensation to which you are entitled.

To get your claim started please complete the claim form (to the right) or send us a message/request a callback and we get back in touch with you.