Being involved in a road traffic accident whether as a pedestrian, a cyclist or a motorist is traumatic, but the experience can be made worse if the person responsible for the accident leaves the scene without stopping to see if you’re okay or providing their insurance details.
If you have been involved in a road traffic accident, you may wish to make a personal injury claim. Just because the person who has injured you leaves the scene doesn’t mean you cannot make a compensation claim. What does differ however, is the way your claim is handled and, in a case where the person who has injured you doesn’t give false insurance information, it’s more important than ever to work with a solicitor who has expertise in these types of cases. Our personal injury lawyers answer frequently-asked questions about road traffic accident claims…
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT HIT-AND-RUN CLAIMS
1. What should I do if I’m injured in a hit-and-run accident? 

If you are involved in a hit-and-run road accident and are injured, you should first call 999 to report the incident to the authorities and seek medical attention for you and anyone else left injured. You are required in any event to report any road traffic accident in which you are involved to the police within five days (apart from in exceptional cases where the injury is too serious for you to do so). If the police can trace the driver responsible for your personal injury, and the driver has a valid insurance policy, then Thompsons Solicitors can support you in making a road traffic accident claim following the normal claims process where the claim is against the other driver’s insurance.
2. What happens if I suffered a personal injury in a hit-and-run road traffic accident and the police discover that the driver is uninsured?
If the police manage to trace a driver responsible for causing injury during a hit-and-run accident, and they do not have a valid insurance policy, Thompsons Solicitors will help you make a claim via the Motor Insurers’ Bureau’s (MIB) uninsured driver scheme.
To qualify for the scheme, the hit-and-run accident must have occurred on a public road or an area that the public and their vehicles have open and unfettered access to. There is a legal obligation for everyone to have insurance for their vehicles if driven on public roads, but there is no obligation to have insurance on private roads.
If you have questions about whether the incident in question fits in with these criteria, please, contact Thompsons Solicitors’ legal enquiry team for guidance on 0800 0 224 224.
3. What happens if the police cannot trace the hit-and-run driver responsible for my injury?
If the police do not manage to trace the driver responsible for your hit-and-run injury then a claim can still be made to the MIB. A claim where the driver can’t be traced is made through the MIB untraced drivers’ agreement.
The Motor Insurers’ Bureau is an organisation that all motor insurers are required to pay money into exactly for situations where drivers are uninsured or untraced. Members of the public can deal with the MIB directly, but the procedure is often a complicated and lengthy one, so insured people usually have professional legal assistance with this.
Thompsons Solicitors can help you through the process of making a hit-and-run personal injury compensation claim. A claim to the MIB has to be made within three years of an accident (if the victim is under 18 years old at the time, three years from their 18th birthday). These time limits are strictly applied. We recommend you contact our road crash claim specialists as soon as possible for further guidance.
4. What should I do if I’ve been involved in a hit-and-run accident with someone who was either uninsured or drove off from the scene and want to make a road accident claim?
As with all personal injury compensation claims, including hit-and-run accident claims, you would need to prove that another person was responsible for your personal injury – in this case, the driver who hit you and was either uninsured or didn’t stop.
To help your case, try to record names, addresses and telephone numbers of any witnesses of the accident and take photographs of the accident site, if it is safe and possible to do so. Keep the receipts of any medical prescriptions or travelling charges you’ve paid as a result of the accident as evidence, as you may be able to claim these expenses back. Always report your accident to the police.
5. How much compensation will I get for my hit-and-run road traffic accident claim?
The amount of compensation awarded to victims of hit-and-run traffic collisions depends upon the injuries sustained, which can vary in severity - from minor cuts and bruises to more life-changing, serious physical and psychological injuries. This is usually reflected in the amount of compensation you are awarded. Thompsons Solicitors’ road accident specialists can provide you with an informed estimate of how much your hit-and-run compensation claim is worth after going through the unique details of your case. We will always be realistic with you about the level of compensation you will receive.
6. How long will I have to wait to receive my hit-and-run road traffic accident compensation?
The time it takes to receive the compensation award following a claim to the MIB depends on the specific details of your case. Some hit-and-run accident claims can be concluded within a few months, but others may be more complex and take longer to settle. Whatever your situation, Thompsons Solicitors will work diligently to ensure you receive the maximum compensation you are entitled to as soon as possible while keeping you fully up-to-date with the details of your case.
7. How can Thompsons Solicitors help me with my hit-and-run accident compensation claim?
Thompsons Solicitors has experts in all types of road collision claims who will be able to advise you on whether or not you have a valid claim for compensation. Our specialist road accident lawyers have secured millions of pounds in compensation for people across the UK, and will be happy to talk you through the process of making a road traffic accident claim and answer any questions you may have. Call us now on 0800 0 224 224 or take a few minutes to fill in our online claim form, and we’ll call you at a convenient time for you.