Imagine your having a bad day… your running late for work, you hit traffic and every red traffic light on your route, and then just as you are about to pull into the car park, BANG WALLOP some clumsy driver smashes straight into the back of your car. Youv’e been injured and your pride and joy is a mangled mess, then to top it all, you find out the other driver doesn’t have insurance! You think it can’t get any worse and errrr, actually you just might be right.
In fact it gets a little better because we tell you about the MIB, no not the Men In Black, but the Motor Insurers Bureau…
The Motor Insurance Bureau
The motor insurance bureau (MIB) has been set up to compensate victims who have been the victims of uninsured or untraced drivers. The MIB is basically an agreement between the Government and Insurers to compensate the victims of uninsured or untraced drivers.
The accident must have happened in England, Scotland or Wales and you must also report the matter to the police IMMEDIATELY.
What can I claim for and how does it work?
This is a fairly complex question as there are a number of agreements and I depends on when your accident happened.
Us Solicitors are not so fond of The MIB untraced drivers agreement as the costs we can recover under the agreement are severely limited. In fact in MIB untraced drivers claims, I seriously have to question whether it is actually worth Solicitors pursuing these claims for many simple car accident claims.
If your accident is fairly recent and the other driver is known but uninsured then we should be able to submit a claim through the MIB for your personal injury and financial losses subject to the relevant MIB agreement.
You must submit the claim within 3 years of the accident. You MUST always report the incident to the Police ASAP. The Men In Black, sorry, the Motor Insurers Bureau will ask you to sign a form which will allow them to sue the offending driver directly for the amount you have claimed should they wish to do so. You can still instruct solicitors like us who will be able to co-ordinate the claim for you under the relevant MIB agreement.
If you are injured in an accident which isn’t your fault and the other driver drove either off or is not insured then make sure you contact the Police and report the matter to the Police immediately. Then contact Injury Lawyers for further advice regarding your claim as the MIB agreements can be fairly complex. Remember, most decent Solicitors will be prepared to take your case on a ‘No Win No Fee’.