Where a driver is uninsured or untraced and has caused a fatal motoring accident or life changing injuries for instance, it does not mean that the driver cannot be held into account for his or her actions.
Uninsured Driver – Motor Insurance Bureau
The Police will investigate the fatal accident details and take criminal proceedings against the Driver in the usual way. Common charges for taken by the police with a death has occurred is death by careless driving and death be dangerous driving.
Where the driver is uninsured or untraced (most commonly referred to as ‘hit and run’) there is a scheme that has been set up to compensate families who have lost a loved one in a motor accident causing the fatal injury.
The scheme is called the Motor Insurance Bureau or MIB. Therefore the MIB will pay any compensation that is due to the deceased’s estate and the deceased’s family for the motoring accident claim.
Why Was the Motor Insurance Bureau Set Up?
The Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions in 2001 made the following observations:
- Uninsured vehicles were running between 4-6% of all vehicles, which equated to about 1.1 million vehicles that are uninsured.
- The cost to the insurance industry for uninsured vehicles was estimated to be £400 million in 1999.
- Motorists pay an additional premium of between £15 – £30 pa on their insurance premiums.
To protect the public, the MIB scheme has been set up to compensate bereaved families if they have lost a loved one due to an uninsured or untraced driver.
To make a claim against the MIB, the uninsured or untraced driver must have been negligence or to blame for the accident in whole or in part. A fatal motoring accident cannot be claimed if there was no fault attached.
If the fatal car accident was an intentional act to kill or injure, then the MIB will not be involved but the affected parties should consider making a claim for Bereavement via the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
What Can Be Claimed Against the Motor Insurance Bureau?
- Bereavement award
- Medical expenses
- Pain and suffering leading to death
- Funeral expenses and headstone
- Medical expenses
- Dependency claims for relatives left behind (lost income & care for children/spouse etc)
- Losses and expenses
If the death was caused by a driver who was uninsured or untraced the MIB scheme will offer financial compensation for the relatives who come under the class as a ‘dependent’ of the deceased.
If you have lost a love one please contact us now the fatal accident solicitors for help and support.
