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If You Were Hit By A Stolen Car Who Pays For The Damage Caused?

If you have been hit by a stolen car, you may have found the experience distressing. You may have sustained damages to your vehicle and suffered injuries as a result of the accident. Therefore, you may wish to claim compensation for any damages caused.

It is possible to claim compensation if you were hit by a stolen vehicle and caused injuries. However, the claims process is more challenging than if the driver were the vehicle owner. In this guide, we will answer questions such as, “I was hit by a stolen car, who pays for the damages?” We will also explain the challenges of claiming compensation for a road traffic accident involving a stolen or uninsured vehicle.

If you were hit by a stolen car, an experienced solicitor would understand the complexity of your case. Legal Expert can connect you to a skilled personal injury solicitor to handle your car accident claim. Our solicitors have up to three decades of experience handling compensation claims. What’s more, we can handle your case as a No Win No Fee claim.

Contact us today to begin your car accident compensation claim. Call our claims helpline for free on 0800 073 8804. Or you can email us via our website.

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Hit by a stolen car who pays for the damage caused guide

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If You Were Hit By A Stolen Car, Who Pays For The Damage? Find Out In Our Guide

This section examines the question, “I was hit by a stolen car, who pays the damage?” In a typical road traffic accident claim, the driver’s insurer pays the damages. However, if the vehicle is stolen, then there is no such insurer. In these cases, your claim will be made through the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB). We’ll examine the role of the MIB in more detail later in the guide. 

All road users have a collective duty of care to one another do everything reasonably in their power to avoid causing harm. This means upholding the standards of both the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Highway Code. It is worth noting that the Highway Code places a greater level of responsibility on those most likely to cause harm, namely the drivers of large vehicles such as HGVs and buses. 

The general eligibility criteria to begin a road accident claim are as follows:

  1. You were owed a duty of care by another road user.
  2. That road user breached this duty. 
  3. This breach caused an accident in which you were injured.

To get a free eligibility assessment of your potential claim for an accident involving a stolen vehicle, contact our advisory team today using the contact details given above.

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What Is An Accident Involving A Stolen Car

An accident involving a stolen car is often caused by reckless driving. A car accident can happen if the driver comes off the road or collides with another vehicle. What’s more, a vehicle accident can also take place if the driver hits a pedestrian, a cyclist or another road user.

Road traffic accidents can happen at junctions if a driver pulls out without giving way to the oncoming car. Similarly, a driver can hit a cyclist or motorbike rider at a turning if they fail to use proper observation techniques. In addition, rear-end collisions can happen if the car drives too close to the car in front of it. Rear-end shunts can cause whiplash and other injuries.

How Many Cars Get Stolen In The UK Per Year?

This Office for National Statistics has produced some figures in relation to vehicle crime for England and Wales. From April 2019 to March 2020, 10 incidents of theft and /or damage caused by stolen vehicles costs between £500-£999. Additional 2 incidents for the same category cost between £5000 and £9,999. According to the source below altogether for the UK, there were 74,769 recorded vehicle robberies.

Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/15-cars-most-likely-stolen-23402451

What Is The Motor Insurer’s Bureau?

The Motor Insurer’s Bureau (MIB) is an organisation set up to pay compensation to people who an uninsured driver or untraced driver hit. The MIB was established in 1946, it is funded by insurance premiums.

In the UK, all drivers are legally required to have motor insurance. According to the Motor Insurance Bureau, there are one million uninsured drivers on the roads today. Therefore the MIB compensates, those who have been hit by drivers who do not have insurance cover. A driver who has stolen a car won’t have motor insurance.

Moreover, the Motor Insurance Bureau also offers untraced driver compensation. Whereby car accident victims can claim compensation if an untraced driver has hit them. This type of accident is also known as a hit and run accident. A driver may flee the scene of an accident because the vehicle is stolen, or they are not insured.

If you have been hit by an uninsured driver you may still be able to claim compensation. You can potentially claim compensation from the Motor Insurance Bureau. Trust Legal Expert to handle your compensation claim. Our solicitors can negotiate with the MIB to ensure you receive the right amount of compensation. Contact us today to begin your claim.

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Who Is Liable For Stolen Car Accidents?

Being injured in a car accident can be a distressing experience, especially if the accident was caused by the other driver showing little regard for your safety. But if you were hit by a stolen car, this adds a further layer of complexity to the case. If you were hit by a stolen car, who pays for the damage?

Here is where the Motor Insurance Bureau could potentially help. Please collect as much evidence as possible to support your claim.

How Do You Show Who Is Liable?

How is liability established following a car accident? Just because a stolen car or insured vehicle is involved in an accident will not automatically mean they are at fault. The MIB or insurers will still want to find out who is liable for the accident. If you are in a collision with an uninsured driver it does not automatically qualify you for compensation. As if you are liable for the accident the MIB would not pay you out.

Causes of road traffic accidents include the following:

  • The driver didn’t obey the speed limit.
  • Or the driver didn’t observe traffic signals.
  • Or the driver proceeds forward when it is not their right of way.
  • The driver does not give way properly at a junction. Consequently, the driver could pull out into oncoming traffic.
  • On the other hand, a driver does not check their side mirrors before turning. Subsequently, the car could hit a bike or motorbike as they turn.

To claim compensation, you need to show that you did not cause the accident. This evidence can include information from the police report, CCTV footage, dashcam footage and eyewitness statements.

Is Your Claim Affected By Criminal Proceedings?

An individual who has stolen a car has committed a criminal offence. The investigation generally should not prevent you from making a claim through the MIB. However, you would still need to establish liability. If liability was in question, meaning who caused the accident, this may cause a delay while further investigations are undertaken.

Claiming compensation for an accident involving a stolen car can be complicated. A claims advisor can speak to you about claiming compensation for injuries caused by an accident in a stolen car. Please feel free to call our claims helpline to discuss the matter with an advisor.

How Long Do You Have To Make A Claim?

Normally there is a three-year time limit to make a personal injury claim. The time limit starts at the time that the accident happened. Or the time limit begins when you realised that you had been injured or your injury was caused through negligence. There are exceptions to this rule especially for cases involving children and those who do not have the mental capabilities to claim for themselves.

If you make a personal injury claim through the Motor Insurance Bureau, the personal injury claims time limit is three years. We recommend that you contact Legal Expert as soon as possible to avoid falling outside of the personal injury claims time limit.

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Hit By A Stolen Car Who Pays For The Damage – Calculating Compensation

If you make a successful personal injury claim your settlement can be made up of two Heads of Loss. These are general damages and special damages. This section looks specifically at general damages. General damages are awarded for the pain and suffering caused by the accident. They cover both physical injuries and mental suffering. The figures in the table are for general damages alone. Therefore the next section will look at losses and expenses.

How much compensation can you claim if you were hit by a stolen car? You can use the compensation table below to estimate how much compensation you may be eligible to claim for your injuries.

The compensation payouts in this table are based on guidelines from the Judicial College. This publication is often used by legal professionals in England and Wales to hone in on a value for different kinds of suffering. The figures have been depicted from past cases.

Compensation Table

We need to emphasise that this table has been included to act as guidance only.

Type of InjurySeverityGuideline Compensation Amount
Multiple Very Severe Injuries together with Sigificant Financial LossesVery SevereUp to £500,000 +
Neck InjuriesSevere (a)(i)In the region of £181,020
Moderate (i)£30,500 to £46,970
Other Arm InjuriesSevere (a)£117,360 to £159,770
Back InjurySevere (a)(ii)£90,510 to £107,910
Foot InjuriesSevere (d)£51,220 to £85,460
Modest (g)Up to £16,770
Hand InjuriesSerious (e)£35,390 to £75,550
Less serious (g)£17,640 to £35,390
Wrist InjuriesComplete Loss of Function (a)£58,710 to £73,050

Please be aware that the compensation paid out can vary from case to case, based on individual circumstances. For a personalised quote, please call our claims helpline today to speak to an advisor.

Special Damages Awarded For Stolen Car Accidents

As we said previously a settlement will be made up of damages. General damages are compensation for the pain and suffering the injuries have caused. General damages can include compensation for psychological injuries. Such as compensation for anxiety after a car accident.

Moreover, some claimants also receive special damages. Special damages are compensation to repay you for any out of pocket expenses caused by your injuries. You must provide evidence of special damages. This can include receipts, bills and bank stamens.

Below are some examples of special damages you could claim:

Hit By A Stolen Car Who Pays Damages – No Win No Fee Claim?

A Conditional Fee Agreement or No Win No Fee agreement is one way to fund the services of your solicitor. When you make a No Win No Fee claim, you will not pay a solicitors fee before work begins on your claim. Rather, the solicitor will give you a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) to sign. A Conditional Fee Agreement is an agreement between you and your solicitor. It will state that you will pay a success fee if the claim is won. Therefore, if your solicitor does not win your claim, you will not have to pay a success fee.

There are many reasons why some claimants prefer to hire a solicitor that offers No Win No Fee terms. For example, the financial risk is may be lowered. The financial risk is lower because you will only pay your success fee if your injury claim succeeds. What’s more, the majority of your compensation payout will go directly to you.

In addition, many claimants find No Win No Fee is the more affordable option. No Win No Fee solicitors may be more affordable because your solicitor will deduct your success fee from your compensation payout. So, you don’t have to worry about paying your solicitor before work starts on your claim. To learn more about making a No Win No Fee claim, read our online guide today.

Contact Legal Expert

If a stolen vehicle has injured you, please contact Legal Expert today to begin your compensation claim.

  • Call us on 0800 073 8804 to speak with a legal advisor.
  • Or you can contact us in writing via LegalExpert.co.uk.
  • You also have the option to use our chat widget to speak to us directly.

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Useful References

Thank you for reading this guide on, hit by a stolen car, and who pays your damages? You may also wish to read these resources to learn more.

Vehicle safety checks – a guide from THINK!

Information and guidance – Information for victims of road traffic accidents from charity Brake

Check someone’s driving licence information – A government resource

We also have some other guides on car accident claims that you may find useful:

Many thanks for reading our guide to what if you are hit by a stolen car, who pays for the damages?

Written By Cheleache

Edited By Melissa.

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