What to do in a road traffic accident with an uninsured or hit and run driver

Some of us have been unfortunate enough to have been involved in road traffic accidents (which is bad enough), especially if the other party is at fault. Matters are even worse if the other party has no insurance (or takes off before you get their details).

It is a criminal offence to drive a motor vehicle without any insurance, but this is not much help if you are involved in such a situation and have suffered an injury as a result (for which you should be compensated and you should also be able to recover costs for your vehicle repairs and medical treatment expenses).

This can be daunting even for the most experienced of drivers and you must therefore report the accident to your motor insurers and the police as soon as possible. But what next?

The Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) has existed for many years to compensate victims of negligent uninsured (and untraced) motorists. These cases obviously arise out of those motorists who are uninsured or who hit and run.

There are a number of things to bear in mind at the time of the incident.  If the other party has stopped, get their details and make a note (even better; take a photo showing their registration number and the make and model of their vehicle). If the other party says their vehicle is insured through their employers, ask them for their employers’ details including name of their insurers (and the employers’ contact details). If the other party refuses to give you their insurance details, contact the police as soon as possible and file a complaint. If you have been involved in a hit and run case (and the vehicle has failed to stop), try and get their vehicle registration number (if possible). Otherwise, try and establish any witness details and ask them for their contact details for future reference and contact the police immediately.

Such cases obviously cause great distress to innocent victims.  Claims involving uninsured and untraced drivers or vehicles registered in foreign country can also be difficult and complex. Therefore, to ensure you receive sound advice, you need to contact a lawyer who can guide you through the process.

If you have been injured as a result of an accident which was not your fault, involving such circumstances, please contact our injury claims team. Our team is made up of specialist injury lawyers who have many years of experience in dealing with such complex cases. We can guide you through your rights with respect to damage repairs, medical treatment, cost recovery and compensation for your injury.