What to do if you have an accident with an uninsured driver

If you have been involved in an accident with an uninsured driver, you may be worried that you cannot claim, and you will have to pay for any damage. Luckily, this isn’t the case, and you can still make a personal injury claim even if the driver isn’t insured.

Steps to take after an accident with an uninsured driver

If you are involved in an accident with an uninsured driver, whether it is a car accident, cycling accident, motorbike accident, or as a pedestrian, your priority should be your safety and the safety of others involved.

You should also check for injuries and call emergency services if needed. Under the Road Traffic Act (1998), you should report any motor accident to the police if it has caused damaged or injured people.

After everyone is safe and/or help is on the way, it is important to gather as much information as possible, including:

• All other parties’ contact details
• The relevant vehicles’ makes, models and registrations
• The colour of the vehicle and any other identifying features, such as modifications
• Photos and/or videos of the scene
• Eyewitness accounts and contact details
• Contact a specialist personal injury solicitor to manage your claim

It is a criminal offence not to share contact details when there are ‘reasonable grounds’ for requesting them, including any damage to the car and personal injury.

Accident scenes can be hectic and sometimes distressing, so getting these details may be the last thing on your mind, especially if you are injured. If there are other witnesses, it is a good idea to ask them to take these details for you. If the Police are on the scene, they will usually take these details too.

It is important to get these details, whether the accident involves an uninsured driver at fault or not at fault. It’s essential to remain calm and avoid discussing fault at the scene.

How to find out if a driver is insured or not

If the driver at fault leaves the scene without giving their details, such as in a hit and run, you may not be able to establish whether they are insured or not. In this case, if you manage to get their registration, your insurance provider may be able to find this out.

Alternatively, you can ask the Motor Insurance Database (MID), which has a small charge. If Police are at the scene and you or someone else managed to get their registration, they can run a check on their database.

Can you make a personal injury claim if the driver doesn’t have insurance?

Yes, you can still make a personal injury claim even if the driver at fault doesn’t have insurance. These claims are handled by the Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB).

What is the Motor Insurance Bureau?

The MIB helps victims of road traffic accidents when the party at fault cannot be traced, e.g. a hit and run, or doesn’t have insurance. In MIB claims, they pay the compensation in place of the insurance company. This is paid through the insurance premiums of law-abiding motorists.

Understanding the MIB claims process

Although the MIB will be involved in your claim, your personal injury lawyer will manage this for you. We will submit your claim to the MIB and work together to obtain the relevant evidence and reports to support your case.

When submitting a claim to the MIB, they will ask for as much information as possible and will look for supporting evidence, such as CCTV or dashcam footage, to support the personal injury claim. This is why it’s so important to gather as much information as possible.

The MIB claims process is a bit different to when dealing with an insured claim, but don’t let this put you off from making a personal injury claim if you are injured in an uninsured driver accident. It is important to seek the compensation you deserve. Our personal injury solicitors will guide you through the MIB claims process and answer any questions you have along the way.

Contact our personal injury solicitors

If you have been injured in an accident involving an uninsured driver who was at fault, our friendly team may be able to help. For a no-obligation chat, call us on 0117 325 2929 or fill out this form, and we will be in touch.