It is understandable that when you have been involved in a car accident the first thing on your mind is not to write down the car registration plate of the other car. We simply put our trust in that person doing the right thing and exchanging details with you.
However, unfortunately in this world some people do not always do the right thing and therefore on some occasions the other person may simply drive away from the scene before you’ve even had chance to process what has actually happened.
Fortunately in the UK there is an organisation called the Motor Insurance Bureau which enables people to pursue a traffic accident injury claim even without the details of the other car. The organisation is funded by all the insurance companies in the country and deals with around 50,000 claims every year!
Having this organisation is, of course, incredibly important to law abiding road users who, as a result of someone else breaking the law, can find themselves injured and losing out financially. As it is a non-profit organisation the process is different to pursuing the “normal” road traffic claim.
To pursue a claim through the MIB you must have reported the accident to the police as soon as possible – at least within 14 days of the accident. Without this they may refuse to proceed further with the case. The MIB, after receiving all the details of your potential claim, will then investigate to ensure that the driver is completely untraceable. They aim to do this within 3 months; however it is not like a claim that goes through a specific time protocol and therefore may take longer than this in certain circumstances.
So why do you need a personal injury lawyer when pursuing a MIB claim? The MIB can be notorious for undervaluing claims and it often seems that they may make an offer to somebody pursuing this themselves knowing that that person may not have the knowledge to know whether they are entitled to more. Therefore by getting the help of a personal injury lawyer, it reduces the risk of the MIB offering unfair amounts as of course, they know that we would simply not agree with such amounts.
Also, if the MIB decides that after their investigations you were not entitled to compensation there is the opportunity to appeal. Of course this process can be quite daunting for some people and consequently without legal advice some may simply give in. However, here at the Injury Lawyers we have experience in both getting the MIB claim started and appealing against decisions if the need arises.
The main message of this blog is not to panic if you are involved in an accident with an untraced third party. Just because you do not have the details of a driver does not mean that you have lost your opportunity to claim. Injuries sustained in a road traffic accident can be serious and therefore cause financial difficulty as well as personal suffering. Of course, the claim process is that bit more difficult and therefore make sure you give yourself the best chance of gaining maximum compensation still by seeking experienced legal representation.
