What do I do if I do not have the other cars details?
If you are involved in a car accident, it is important that you swap contact and insurance details with the other driver even if there is no damage and no-one gets hurt.
Whiplash injuries can become apparent days, weeks and even months after an accident has occurred so ensuring you have the details of the other vehicle enables you to file a claim.
In some cases however, details can often be misplaced or impossible to get hold of in the first place.
For example, say you were hit by a car, no-one was hurt and no damage was caused to either vehicle, so neither of you exchanges details. A few weeks down the line you begin to suffer from whiplash injury and you do not have the details of the other car, so what do you do?
If you want to make a claim but you do not have the other cars details, you could either file a claim with the Motor Insurer's Bureau (MIB), or file a claim with your insurer.
Under the Untraced Drivers' Agreement 2003, you are still entitled to make a claim, regardless of not having the other driver's details, with the Motor Insurer's Bureau (MIB) who will act as the untraced driver.
According to the agreement, the claimant must report the incident to the police within 14 days of the accident. The police will then make enquiries to see if they can identify the other driver or vehicle.
You must also contact your insurance company and make them aware of the situation and your injuries.
You could otherwise file a claim with your insurer. By contacting your insurance company and explaining the situation, someone will arrange a time to examine the damage caused. If the insurance company agrees to repair the vehicle, depending on your policy, most of the costs will be covered by your insurer.
However, because all insurance companies offer different policies, not all insurers may allow a full reimbursement of the damages and you may have to forfeit some, most or even all of the costs to repair the vehicle.
Furthermore, making a claim on your insurance would mean that you may lose your no claims bonus and your insurance premium will increase.
Updated on 29/01/2009