How do I claim hit and run accident compensation if the Injuries Board Ireland want to know on their application form the registration number of the car that hit me and the insurance company of the driver?
Eoin P. Campbell, LL.B., Solicitor
Editor in Chief
Question:
How do I claim hit and run accident compensation if the Injuries Board Ireland want to know on their application form the registration number of the car that hit me and the insurance company of the driver?
Answer:
If you have been injured in a hit and run accident, and the Garda have been unable to trace the driver or vehicle responsible, you can make a claim for hit and run compensation to the Motor Insurers´ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI). The Motor Insurers´ Bureau of Ireland was established to compensate victims of road traffic accidents which have been caused by uninsured or unidentified drivers and is funded by motor insurance companies in Ireland as a condition of their licence to operate in the Republic.
Making a claim for hit and run accident compensation via MIBI is little different from completing an application for assessment to the Injuries Board Ireland. Your hit and run accident compensation claim can be filled in online at www.mibi.ie or you can download a hard copy of the claim form to complete and send in the post (do not send original documents to MIBI when you submit a claim for hit and run accident compensation through the post).
MIBI will investigate your claim, check the Garda report you submit with your claim and also confirm the medical report you submit with your hit and run accident compensation claim to assess the extent and severity of your injuries. However, unlike the application for assessment that is sent to the Injuries Board Ireland, there is no section for you to complete in respect of financial losses (such as loss of income if you are unable to work) or for the deterioration in your quality of life if you sustain a long-term injury.
Therefore, it is also worth your while – once your claim for hit and run accident compensation has been submitted to MIBI and a claims reference received – to also make a claim for hit and run accident compensation to the Injuries Board Ireland, citing MIBI as the respondent and entering the MIBI Claims reference in the section of the application where the respondent´s insurance policy number is requested.
Completing this procedure has two potential benefits:-
MIBI is funded by insurance companies – who are careful with their money and who will settle your hit and run accident compensation claim for the minimum amount possible. By submitting an application for assessment to the Injuries Board Ireland, you will also receive a fair and independent assessment of your claim.
Should MIBI offer you an inadequate settlement of hit and run accident compensation, you will be able to obtain an “Authorisation” from the Injuries Board Ireland to pursue your claim for hit and run accident compensation in the courts – with an independent assessment already prepared from a credible source and liability for your injuries admitted by proxy.
The above may sound a little confusing and seem like a lot of procedures at a time when you are recovering from your hit and run accident. Therefore, for a more comprehensive explanation which will have greater relevance to your personal situation, it is suggested that you discuss the best way to obtain a fair and adequate settlement of hit and run accident compensation with a solicitor at the earliest practical opportunity.