As the Injuries Board request details of the car that hit me, how can I claim compensation for injury in a hit and run accident?
Because you have been injured in an accident where the driver has not been identified by the Gardai, you can claim compensation for injury in a hit and run accident against the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI). MIBI was established in order to compensate road accident victims whose accidents were caused by uninsured or untraced drivers. It is funded by motor insurance companies in Ireland as a condition of their licence to operate in the Republic.
Claiming for hit and run compensation via MIBI differs slightly from completing a “regular” application for assessment to the Injuries Board Ireland. Your claim for hit and run injury can be filed online at www.mibi.ie or by post to MIBI. Once they have received your application, MIBI will investigate your claim by evaluating the Garda report you should have attached to your claim, along with your medical report to consider that extent and severity of your hit and run injuries.
Please take note, however, that unlike the application for assessment to the Injuries Board Ireland, the MIBI application form does not include any section for you to communicate any financial losses or deterioration to the quality of your life due to the nature of your injury.
You would be well advised, therefore, to also submit an application for assessment to the Injuries Board, once your compensation for injury in a hit and run accident claim has been submitted and a claims reference received. On the Application Form A, MIBI should be named the respondent and the MIBI claims reference should be inserted in the section where the respondent’s insurance policy number would usually go. By submitting this application you will receive a fair and independent assessment of your claim for hit and run injury.
There is the possibility that the MIBI will offer you an insufficient settlement of compensation for your hit and run injuries, as MIBI is funded by insurance companies that are typically careful with their money and who will try to settle your claim for the minimum amount possible. Should this happen, the Injuries Board will be able to issue you with an “Authorisation” to pursue your claim in the courts.
In a situation like this, you would be strongly recommended to discuss the circumstances of your accident and subsequent injuries with an experienced personal injury claims solicitor. Aside from guiding you in the right direction and explaining the claims process in more thorough detail, your solicitor would be able to assist in the completion of both applications to ensure that each vital element is satisfactorily conveyed.
