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Many road users injured
due to the fault of a driver of a vehicle which is uninsured or,
untraced suffer many other inconveniences and the services of a
solicitor experienced with such procedures can be invaluable.
Up to a third of drivers
in some inner-city areas do not have any insurance. Figures
published by the government show that Great Britain has the
second worst rate in Europe, with an estimated one in 20 drivers
on the road driving without insurance.
When the government
announced plans to find new ways to crack down on the uninsured
hazard, it was claimed there may be an end to the problem when it
introduced an insurance industry backed database. It was hoped
the police would be able to check instantly if someone was
insured or not.
It was introduced in
February 2003 and after two years the police are making 30 000
daily enquiries on the database. That’s one every three seconds.
But a regional break-down
of figures from the Motor Insurers' Bureau shows a much more
extreme picture of inner-city hotspots with very large numbers of
drivers still not bothering with insurance.
Merseyside is believed to
have the worst record, with areas in which it is estimated that
one in three drivers are not insured. Also at the top of the
insurance-dodging league are inner-city Sheffield and parts of
south London. And it's estimated that any low-income urban area
with a high concentration of cars is likely to have a level of
uninsured drivers far higher than the average.
Roger Snook of the Motor
Insurers' Bureau, which provides compensation for the victims of
uninsured drivers, says there is a culture of insurance
avoidance. "None of their associates have insurance, so they
think they don't need it, either."
Mr Snook says that the
typical uninsured driver, in his early 20s, in an old car, is
likely to have an above-average chance of a crash.
So if you're involved in
a collision in any of these inner city areas, the odds of the
other driver being uninsured are worryingly high.
In terms of insurance
claims, there is a safety net. The Motor Insurers' Bureau will
pay out in the absence of an insurance company to claim against,
and this can include compensation for personal injury as well as
damage to the vehicle.
We all pay for this
reserve fund, with estimates that it adds up to £30 to every
policy.
It's also not a complete
protection for the innocent driver. If an uninsured driver bashes
into your car and then disappears in a cloud of exhaust smoke,
the claims process can turn to the Motor Insurers' Bureau, but
there is a £300 excess and the Association for British Insurers
says it can also mean the loss of the no-claims bonus.
As things are now, if
you're in a collision it's not obvious whether the other driver
has insurance. He can give a false name and address and even the
registration number isn't a guarantee of tracing the owner.
However, if you have been
involved in an accident a specialist personal injury solicitor
can access the database and normally advise if the other party
has insurance. Even if the driver has driven off a claim can be
made.
In those cases it’s
important to inform the police so they may have a chance to
apprehend the driver.
It follows that if you
have a collision in the wrong part of town, your chances of
finding an insured owner might be slim but a claim can be made,
with some personal injury specialist solicitors processing the
claim on a ‘no win-no fee basis’.
It’s always important to
get proper advice, because every accident - and, therefore, every
compensation claim - is unique, you need a qualified solicitor
with as much experience of pursuing personal accident
compensation claims as possible.
For further information
contact
Rachel Lloyd A Partner in the firm of HARKIN LLOYD
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