Hit and Run? How to Claim When the Other Driver Drove Off

First steps at the scene

1. Get to safety and check for injuries.
2. Call 999 if there are injuries or if the vehicle is dangerous; otherwise call 101 within 24 hours.
3. Photograph everything — your vehicle, road position, debris, direction of travel, any partial number plate you saw.
4. Look for witnesses — pedestrians, other drivers, shopkeepers.
5. Look for CCTV — bus routes, ATMs, petrol stations, doorbell cameras.
6. Note the exact time, weather, road conditions.

Getting a police reference number is critical. Without one, the MIB will refuse the claim.

The Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB)

The MIB is funded by every UK insurer through a levy and exists to compensate victims of uninsured and untraced drivers. It runs two schemes:

Untraced Drivers Agreement

For hit-and-run cases where the driver cannot be identified. Covers personal injury and, since 2017, vehicle damage subject to a £300 excess. Application must normally be made within 3 years for injury or 9 months for property damage.

Uninsured Drivers Agreement

For cases where the driver is identified but has no valid insurance. The MIB pays as if the driver had been insured.

Evidence that helps

• Dashcam footage — front and rear. See our dashcam evidence guide.
• Partial number plates — even 3 characters plus vehicle description can lead to identification.
• CCTV — request quickly; most systems overwrite within 7–30 days.
• Independent witnesses — a signed statement with contact details is invaluable.
• Injury records — see a GP or A&E even for minor whiplash symptoms.

Uninsured driver — is my insurance affected?

Comprehensive policies typically cover damage caused by an uninsured driver, sometimes with the excess refunded once the MIB pays. Third-party-only policies do not — you rely on the MIB or a claim against the driver personally.

Personal injury from a hit and run

You can pursue personal injury compensation through the MIB Untraced scheme even if your vehicle wasn't damaged (e.g. you were a pedestrian or cyclist). Medical evidence and treatment records are essential.

Common mistakes

• Not reporting to police — the single biggest reason MIB claims are refused.
• Waiting too long — CCTV disappears within days, witnesses forget.
• Only telling your insurer — always police first, insurer second.
• Repairing before evidence is documented — get engineer reports first.

How VIP Claims can help

We manage MIB submissions from start to finish, gather CCTV and witness evidence quickly, and arrange a like-for-like replacement vehicle where liability is provable.

Talking to VIP Claims is free and puts you under no obligation. We are an independent, UK-based accident management company — not an insurer. If your accident wasn't your fault, we can arrange a like-for-like replacement vehicle, manage repairs at an approved bodyshop, and recover all costs from the at-fault driver's insurer, protecting your no-claims bonus and keeping your excess in your pocket. Speak to a specialist or start your claim online.