Untraced Driver
An untraced driver is an individual who leaves the scene of an accident before exchanging information with the other party, often referred to as a ‘hit and run’.
There are many reasons a person may flee the scene of an accident or refuse to wait for the police to attend, but a large number of these will be because they do not have valid insurance or are in a stolen vehicle.
What steps you should take
In the eventuality you are a victim of an accident caused by an untraced driver you should make a note of as many details as possible such as: –
- Date and time of accident
- Accident location
- Description of the driver – age, sex, ethnicity, distinguishable characters/tattoos etc.
- Description of the vehicle including make, model, vehicle registration
- Witnesses’ contact details
- Police log number
It is also helpful if you are able to take photographs including the accident scene and damage to the vehicles.
Report the accident to the Police
It is imperative that you report the accident to the Police and obtain a log number as this is required in order to submit a claim via the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB).
You should also report the accident to your insurers as soon as possible.
Making a claim
The Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) is a guarantee fund that compensates victims of negligent uninsured or untraced drivers.
In order to make an untraced driver compensation claim, you will need to have reported the incident to the Police within 5 days to claim for property damage and within 14 days to claim for personal injury though the MIB.
It is also required that you make attempts to identify and locate the driver by contacting the police and DVLA prior to submitting a claim to the MIB.
A law firm will be able to make enquiries on your behalf, search the DVLA database and contact any insurers found, to try and identify the driver of the vehicle and establish if there is valid insurance in place.
Solicitors specialising in untraced driver claims
Click here to use our search service to find and compare Solicitors who specialises in uninsured driver accident claims to assist you with your compensation claim.