By Cat Way. Last Updated 28th August 2024. Welcome to our guide on how the Motors Insurers Bureau (MIB) could help you following a road traffic accident with an uninsured or untraceable driver. We’ll explore the process of making a claim through the Motor Insurers’ Bureau and the compensation claim amounts that could potentially be awarded.
If you have been involved in a vehicle or car accident that has led to an injury with an uninsured driver, you may wish to know how to claim. We’ll explore how you can do this and whether you hold a valid claim.
Additionally, we’ll explain what the MIB is and what’s involved when submitting a claim to the MIB. We will also take a look at what sort of damages the MIB can potentially cover.
Also, we’ll provide information on Motor Insurance Bureau compensation amounts that you could receive in your claim. We’ll also explain the benefits of making your claim on a No Win No Fee basis with an experienced solicitor.
When you secure the help of a professional who is already familiar with the MIB claims process, your chances of receiving compensation will be improved. Our personal injury solicitors are well versed in handling cases where someone has experienced harm caused by an uninsured driver.
For more information on personal injury claims, contact our team using the details below:
- Telephone — 0800 073 8804
- Contact us — Fill out our form with your query and an advisor will call you back
- Chat with an advisor using the live chat function below
You can also watch our video which explains our No Win No Fee claims service in detail:
Discover More About Making An MIB Claim In The Sections Below
- What Is A Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) Claim?
- Motor Insurer’s Bureau Compensation Claim Amounts
- Duty Of Care In Road Traffic Accidents
- Steps To Making An MIB Claim Following An Accident With An Uninsured Driver
- What Costs Are Covered In An MIB Claim?
- Make An MIB Claim With Our No Win No Fee Solicitors
What Is A Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) Claim?
The Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) is an organisation that was set up in 1946 to compensate people affected by negligent uninsured and untraced drivers. Their objectives are to reduce the impact and level of uninsured driving in the UK and to compensate those who have been affected by untraced/uninsured motorists.
If you have been involved in a road traffic accident with an untraced or uninsured driver, you could make a claim through the MIB. The MIB could compensate you for your injury plus any property damage and financial losses you have suffered due to the accident. However, you must prove that the uninsured driver was at fault for the accident due to them breaching their duty of care. Later in this guide, we will discuss the duty of care that road users owe each other. Additionally, we will share some examples of the compensation you could receive for your injury.
Do not hesitate to contact our advisors today to discuss your MIB claim against an uninsured or untraced driver. Our friendly advisors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to offer you free legal advice and answer your questions about road traffic accident claims.
Time Limits For MIB Claims
The time limit for MIB claims is the same as all road traffic accident and personal injury claims, as set out by the Limitation Act 1980. This limit is generally three years from the date of your accident, however, there are some exceptions to this rule.
For example, if you are under the age of eighteen when you are injured, then the time limit is frozen. It reinstates on your eighteenth birthday and runs until you turn twenty-one, but a litigation friend can make a claim on your behalf at any time while it is suspended.
Similarly, the time limit is frozen indefinitely for those who lack the mental capacity to claim for themselves. In these cases, a litigation friend can make their claim for them. Otherwise, the 3-year time limit will only be reinstated if the claimant regains the appropriate capacity.
To learn more about MIB claims, MIB payout examples in the UK, and more, read on. Alternatively, contact our team of advisors today to get started on your claim.
Motor Insurer’s Bureau Compensation Claim Amounts
In terms of Motor Insurers’ Bureau compensation claim amounts, all claims are different. This is why it can be hard to show accurate MIB payout examples, so instead, we’ll discuss how an MIB claim might be calculated.
Generally, a car accident compensation payout can be made up of two heads. The first head is called general damages, and this covers the pain and suffering caused by your injuries. This can include both physical injuries and mental injuries.
When this heading is calculated, the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) is often used to help. The JCG is a document that lists a number of injuries and illnesses and provides guideline compensation brackets for each one.
The list below illustrates some of these guidelines, as well as some entries for whiplash. We’ll talk a little more about whiplash claims in the following section, but for now, please keep in mind that the first entry in this list isn’t from the JCG.
- Multiple severe injuries and special damages could result in up to £1,000,000+
- Very severe brain damage that results in a need for round the clock care could result in £344,150 to £493,000
- Moderately severe brain damage that causes a substantial disability could result in £18,700 to £52,550
- Severe back injuries that affect the spinal cord and nerve roots could result in £111,150 to £196,450
- Moderate back injuries, like soft tissue damage and other common injuries, could result in £15,260 to £33,880
- Whiplash and psychological damage with 18-24 months of symptoms can result in £4,345
- Whiplash symptoms lasting 18-24 months can result in £4,215
Can I Claim For Lost Earnings?
Yes, you can claim back any lost earnings caused by your injuries, as well as any other financial losses the car accident caused. These fall under the second heading of your claim, which is known as special damages.
Not everyone is eligible for compensation under the heading. To claim back your lost earnings and other financial losses, you need to be able to provide evidence. This can include things like receipts, bank statements, and invoices.
If you have this evidence, you could potentially claim back the cost of:
- Prescriptions.
- Childcare.
- Counselling and therapy.
- Physiotherapy and rehabilitation.
- Prosthetics and mobility aids.
- Help with housekeeping, like cooking and cleaning.
- Travel.
Evidence will need to be provided of these financial losses. This could include bank statements and payslips.
Get in touch with our team today to learn more about making an MIB claim. Or, keep reading to learn more about claiming for whiplash injuries.
What Is The Whiplash Reform Programme?
The Whiplash Reform Programme was introduced in 2021, and it changed the way that some whiplash claims are made in England and Wales. Now, you need to make your claim differently if you are in these areas and are:
- Aged 18 or over.
- A driver or passenger.
- Claiming for injuries worth £5,000 or less.
In these cases, the compensation you will receive for your whiplash injuries will be calculated based on tariffs that were introduced by the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021. We illustrated some of these tariffs in the table above.
No matter the value of your overall claim, whiplash injuries will always be valued in line with these tariffs, and other injuries will be valued traditionally. If this means your claim is valued at £5,000 or over, it is made traditionally. If it’s less than this, it’s made differently.
You can contact our helpful team of advisors today to learn more about making a whiplash claim.
Duty Of Care In Road Traffic Accidents
When you are using the roads, you owe a duty of care to other road users, and they owe the same duty of care to you. This means that all road users are responsible for preventing harm and damage to themselves and others by ensuring that they are navigating the roads in a safe and responsible manner. Part of upholding this duty includes complying with the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Highway Code.
In order to make a road traffic accident claim, you have to be able to prove that:
- You were owed a duty of care.
- This duty was breached.
- As a result of this breach, you suffered harm.
For example, if you are injured in a hit-and-run, then you may be able to claim compensation for this through the MIB. This is because the other driver, in this case, breached their duty of care and left the scene of the accident without providing their information.
To learn more about when you could make an MIB claim, contact our team of advisors today. A member of our team can evaluate your potential claim, and if it’s valid, they may be able to connect you with one of our expert solicitors.
Steps To Making An MIB Claim Following An Accident With An Uninsured Driver
Although it may feel overwhelming, there are several steps you may wish to take before claiming compensation against an uninsured driver.
We have provided details on these steps below. Some of these steps might not be possible, for instance, in cases where you’ve been in a hit and run accident.
- Try to obtain details of the car, such as the car registration number, vehicle model and colour
- Try to obtain details of the driver, such as their name and number
- Gather evidence to support your MIB claim that another driver was responsible, such as witness details, photographs, CCTV footage and dashcam footage
- Report the accident to the police within 24 hours if the police aren’t present at the time of the accident
- Try to document what occurred at the car accident or vehicle accident scene as accurately as possible.
These steps can often help if the uninsured driver is unwilling to take responsibility.
An experienced road traffic accident solicitor could help you go through the process of claiming through the MIB. For more information on making an MIB claim and further information on MIB payouts, please contact our team.
What Costs Are Covered In An MIB Claim?
The MIB is responsible for paying compensation to individuals that cannot be claimed against a third party, such as an uninsured driver or a driver who fled the accident scene. They run three specific schemes designed to help the public following an accident with an uninsured or untraceable driver:
- The uninsured drivers’ scheme – this compensation plan is activated when the driver that causes or contributes to the accident is uninsured.
- The untraced drivers’ scheme – this is activated when the driver responsible for the car accident or vehicle accident flees and can’t be traced.
- Green card scheme – this is activated when the accident is caused or contributed to by foreign drivers.
Make An MIB Claim With Our No Win No Fee Solicitors
Those eligible to make a claim could seek legal representation from a solicitor who has previous experience handling MIB claims. If you contact our advisors about your claim and they determine you have a strong case, then they could connect you with one of our solicitors. One of them may offer to represent you on a No Win No Fee basis through a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).
When working with a solicitor under this arrangement, you won’t be required to pay any upfront or ongoing fees for their services. Additionally, if your claim is unsuccessful, you will not be obligated to pay your solicitor for the work they have provided on your case.
If your MIB claim is a success, a success fee will be subtracted from the compensation awarded to you. This is a legally capped percentage of your compensation that’s taken from the No Win No Fee solicitor who worked on your case.
Contact our advisors today to discuss your potential claim and receive advice. Our team is available 24/7 to help answer any questions you may have.
They can be reached by:
- Calling 0800 073 8804
- Completing our ‘claim online’ form.
- Using the live chat service.
Learn More About MIB Claims
We hope our guide on making a MIB claim has helped. We have included other resources below.
- See the government guide on claiming compensation for victims of uninsured driver accidents.
- Visit this government guide to vehicle insurance.
- Read our guide on whiplash claims.
- For more information on bus accident claims, see our guide.
- If you require more information on drink driving accident claims, our guide could help.
- See our guide on proving the accident wasn’t your fault following a road traffic accident.
- Also, check out our passenger car accident claims guide.
- Find out more about making a pedestrian accident claim in our guide.
- Visit our guide on how you can prove an injury from a car accident to seek compensation.
- Find out how you could make a stolen vehicle accident claim with our extensive guide.
Thank you for reading our guide on making an MIB claim. If you have any further questions on MIB payouts or the process of claiming through the MIB, call our team on the number above.
