If you have been unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident with an uninsured driver, your first question may be can I claim compensation?

Thankfully, yes you can. Our solicitors can act for you on a no win no fee basis which means that provided you act reasonably with us, we can recover every penny of your compensation with no hidden charges.

Motor Insurers Bureau

The Motor Insurers Bureau, known as the ‘insurer of last resort’ was set up to ensure that any victim who suffers a personal injury and losses as result of an uninsured driver will be entitled to claim compensation.

The Statistics

According to the RAC:

• Up to 30% of drivers have driven without insurance at some time
• At any one time 5% of motorists do not have any insurance cover
• These uninsured drivers cause more accidents than insured drivers
• 10% of all drivers have been involved in an accident with an uninsured driver
• Uninsured drivers are more likely to ‘hit and run’ than insured drivers

Making a claim

First of all, we need to make sure that there is no valid insurance policy in place. Our solicitors are able to make a search on comprehensive Motor Insurance Database which holds the details of every policy throughout the UK. If there is a policy, we will find it.

If there is no insurance policy, then a claim must be made from the MIB.

In 2010 the way in which claims are processed changed in an effort to enable faster agreement on liability and payment of low cost road traffic accident claims. Essentially, the claim will fall into this process if your injury is valued between £1,000 and £10,000. Claims are logged onto the new electronic portal which was set up by the Ministry of Justice to streamline low value personal injury claims.

The claim is worked in three stages:

• Stage One involves electronically submitting the claim form. The MIB will then investigate your claim and respond within 30 days.
• Once liability has been admitted, we move onto Stage Two which involves gathering evidence of your injury. We will have you examined by a medical expert who will prepare a report on your injuries. We will then prepare a settlement pack and submit this to the MIB. The settlement pack will include the medical report and details of any losses you have incurred as a result of your injury. The MIB can either accept the offer in the settlement pack or make a counter offer.
• If the offer cannot be agreed, then we move to Stage Three where we will proceed to apply to the court to have damages assessed. Most claims are settled at Stage Two.

Claim Checklist

If you have had an accident involving an uninsured driver, do the following;

• Get as many details as you can about the other driver. Vehicle registration number, contact details, make and model of the car.
• Ask the driver for their insurance details. They are obliged to provide these and if they do not you can make a complaint to the police.
• Report your accident to your insurance company.

Contact us on 01244 354 664 for free impartial advice and to discuss your options.