Whilst it is compulsory for drivers to have insurance to drive in the UK, not every driver has insurance. Over the past four years there has been 352,000 people convicted of driving without adequate insurance.[1]
In this situation, a claimant is often faced with a defendant who would not necessarily have the financial means to meet a claim. Fortunately, this where the Motor Insurer’s Bureau (MIB) would be able to assist a claimant. The MIB is a non-profit organisation funded by the insurance industry to step in and compensate those who are victims that have been involved in road traffic indidents with uninsured drivers and untraced drivers. The MIB compensates over 26,000 victims each year to those involved in accidents with uninsured or untraced parties. As the MIB is funded by the insurance industry, this often means that if there are more uninsured claims, the cost of motor insurance premiums go up for everyone else to account for this.
If you happen to be in the unfortunate situation where you are involved in a road traffic accident with an uninsured driver, here are some helpful suggestions:
- In all cases it is a legal requirement for parties involved in an accident to stop and swap over details. It is therefore vitally important to obtain the other driver’s full name, address and potential insurance details.
- Make sure you have as much information as possible, including the date and time of the accident, vehicle make, model and vehicle registration(s).
- Request any witnesses to the accident to provide their details.
- Take photographs and videos where possible, including any dashcam footage you or a witness may hold.
- If the other driver refuses to give their details, fails to stop, or if they have no insurance, then immediately contact the police.
At Lyons Davidson we have a number of specialist case handlers who are experts in assisting claimants pursue uninsured drivers and the MIB. It is important to know that just because the other driver does not have any insurance, this does not automatically mean that you cannot be fairly compensated for accident that was not your fault.
[1] UK Uninsured Drivers Statistics Reveal UK hotspots (icompario.com)
