If you or a loved one were involved in a hit and run accident and sustained injuries, you may be able to claim compensation. A hit and run is defined as when a driver is responsible for an accident and either fails to stop, or leaves the scene without providing their insurance details and any other information.
It doesn't matter whether you were a pedestrian, cyclist, motorcyclist, driver, or passenger – you’re still entitled to make a claim.
If the driver has been found, then you can claim against them and their insurance. If the driver is untraceable or uninsured, you can still claim, but your compensation will be paid by the Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB). This is an insurance industry-funded organisation that compensates those involved in accidents with uninsured or untraceable drivers.
How much compensation you can expect to receive following a road traffic accident will depend on a number of factors related to your injury, its circumstances, and the support and rehabilitation you require as a result.
The amount of compensation you could claim is based on a variety of factors including:
- Your pain and suffering
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Current and future loss of earnings
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Medical and travel expenses you have incurred
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Your care and support needs – both now and in the future
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Modifications to your home
Find out more - call us on 0800 056 4110 and we'll be happy to discuss your options in a free initial consultation.
To begin the process for making a hit and run accident claim, contact our expert team today. We’ll set up a free initial consultation with you, where you can discuss what happened. We’ll let you know how much your claim could be worth and talk you through the funding options available to you.
If you decide to pursue your claim, our work will start by collecting supporting evidence to back up your claim. This can include:
- Medical records
- Police records
- CCTV
- Photographic/video evidence
- Receipts (if you’ve needed to pay for medical treatment)
- Independent medical expert opinion.
Once we’ve gathered all the available evidence, we’ll work to trace the person responsible for the hit and run. If we can trace the person, we’ll inform them we intend to claim. If they accept blame and the compensation amount we’re claiming, we can settle your claim quickly.
We’ll also try to secure you interim payments, which are taken from your final compensation payment. Interim payments are early compensation payments that can be used to pay for ongoing treatments and substitute loss of earnings while your claim is ongoing.
However, we may need to start court proceedings if the person either disputes liability or the sum of compensation we intend to claim for. If we need to take your claim to court, we’ll make sure you’re fully prepared.
If the driver can’t be traced, you could still claim. However, the process will involve taking your hit and run claim to the Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB). If you have to claim through the MIB instead of the individual’s insurance company, your compensation sum won’t be affected.
Whatever the circumstances around your claim, we’ll be by your side every step of the way. No matter how long your claim takes we’ll be there, giving you tailored legal advice to help you make the best decisions.
Many of our cases are funded with a No Win No Fee agreement. This means that there’s no financial risk* to you when making a compensation claim.
At the start of your case we’ll discuss funding options with you, advising you which we think is most suitable. If you have legal expenses insurance (LEI) or are covered by a trade union policy, these may be best for you. Legal expenses insurance is included in many household insurance policies, so it’s always worth checking whether you’re already covered.
If we think you’re best supported by a No Win No Fee agreement, we’ll explain the process clearly. This involves setting up an insurance policy that will protect you, at no cost to you. You’ll only have to pay anything when your claim is successful – your opponent will pay most of our fees.
Please visit our No Win No Fee page for more information on how it works.
You normally have three years from the date of an accident to begin a compensation claim – or three years from the date of turning 18 if the incident happened when you were a child.
If your accident happened outside of the UK, time limits can be shorter. In this instance, it's vital that you contact us as soon as possible in this case. Different rules apply for untraced drivers schemes in different countries and it is essential to take specialist legal advice as early as possible.
If you have any concerns or questions about the time limit for claiming compensation, call our team today on 0800 056 4110 for free initial advice and to talk through your options.
We’ll need to know more about the details of the hit and run before we can tell you how much your claim is worth. There’s no set amount of compensation could get for making a hit and run claim – the sum will be unique to your needs.
When we work out your compensation amount, we’ll consider your current and future needs. This makes sure your sum will be there to pay for treatment and rehabilitation as long as you need it.
Factors considered in your compensation entitlement include:
- Your pain and suffering
- Specialist equipment or mobility aids you need
- Nursing home or carer costs
- Modifications you need making to your home or vehicle
- Loss of earnings
- Expenses, such as travel expenses to hospital appointments
- Your long-term care and treatment needs.
Contact us to arrange a free initial consultation. Once we know the details of your accident, we’ll be able to give you an idea of how much compensation you could claim.
In most situations, you’ll need to make a hit and run claim within three years of the date of the accident. If you were injured in a hit and run accident abroad, the time limits can be much shorter.
If you’re claiming on behalf of a loved one who was killed in a hit and run accident, the time limit starts either from the date they died or the date you got the post-mortem report.
There are some situations where this time limit doesn’t apply in the UK, including:
- Children – if you’re claiming on behalf of a child under 18 years old, the time limit doesn’t apply. From their 18th birthday, they’ve three years to make a claim, giving them until they’re 21 to start a hit and run accident claim.
- People who lack mental capacity – The time limit doesn’t apply to people who lack the mental capacity to make their own claim.
Whatever your situation, we urge you to contact us as soon as possible. The sooner you start making your claim, the easier it’ll be for us to collect evidence. The details will also be fresher in your mind, and it could be easier to trace the person responsible.
Most of our hit and run claims are handled on a no win no fee basis. A no win no fee claim means you won’t need to pay any upfront fees and won’t be liable for any costs if your claim is unsuccessful. You’ll only need to pay if your claim is successful, and most of our fees will be covered by your opponent.
To protect you from incurring any fees, you’ll need to enter into an agreement that’s linked to a suitable insurance policy. We can take out After The Event (ATE) insurance for you at no extra cost if you haven’t got a suitable policy in place.
There are several ways you can fund your claim with us, and there may be an alternative method that’s better suited to your situation. We’ll make sure you’re aware of all options in your initial consultation and advise you on which we believe would be most appropriate for you.
Early compensation payments, also known as interim payments, are payments made in advance of any final settlement. They’re only made in an agreement with your opponent, if they admit that they're responsible for your injuries.
Interim payments can be used to replace loss of earnings, so you can afford to pay essential bills if your injury has meant you’ve been absent from work, as well as covering the cost of specialist medical care or mobility equipment.
If we are able to trace the driver of the vehicle involved in your accident, we'll work hard to get an early agreement from the MIB to accept your case and agree an interim payment, to relieve any immediate pressures you’re feeling.
