If You Were Hit By A Stolen Car Who Pays For The Damage Caused?
If you have been hit by a stolen car, you may have found the experience distressing. You may have sustained damages to your vehicle and suffered injuries as a result of the accident. Therefore, you may wish to claim compensation for any damages caused.
It is possible to claim compensation if you were hit by a stolen vehicle and caused injuries. However, the claims process is more challenging than if the driver were the vehicle owner. In this guide, we will answer questions such as, “I was hit by a stolen car, who pays for the damages?” We will also explain the challenges of claiming compensation for a road traffic accident involving a stolen or uninsured vehicle.
Who Pays For The Damage And Injury Caused By Stolen Cars?
If you were hit by a stolen car, an experienced solicitor would understand the complexity of your case. Legal Expert can connect you to a skilled personal injury solicitor to handle your car accident claim. Our solicitors have up to three decades of experience handling compensation claims. What’s more, we can handle your case as a No Win No Fee claim.
Contact us today to begin your car accident compensation claim. Call our claims helpline for free on 0800 073 8804. Or you can email us via our website.
Select A Section
- If You Were Hit By A Stolen Car Who Pays For The Damage? Find Out In Our Guide
- What Is An Accident Involving A Stolen Car?
- How Many Cars Get Stolen In The UK Per Year?
- What Is The Motor Insurers’ Bureau?
- Who Is Liable For Stolen Car Accidents?
- How Do You Show Who Is Liable?
- Is Your Claim Affected By Criminal Proceedings?
- How Long Could You Have To Make A Claim?
- Hit By A Stolen Car Who Pays For The Damage – Calculating Compensation
- Special Damages Awarded For Stolen Car Accidents
- Hit By A Stolen Car Who Pays For The Damage? A No Win No Fee Claim
- Contact Legal Expert
- Useful References
- Hit By A Stolen Car Who Pays For The Damage – FAQs
If You Were Hit By A Stolen Car Who Pays For The Damage? Find Out In Our Guide
Drivers owe other road users a duty of care. Therefore drivers are responsible for driving in a safe manner that upholds the safety of everyone else on the road. If a driver is responsible for causing an accident, the person injured can usually claim compensation for their injuries. The injured person may be a driver of another vehicle, a passenger, pedestrian or any other type of road user.
The compensation payout will include damages for any injuries caused. In some cases, the compensation payout will also pay for damages to the claimant’s vehicle and other expenses. The fault driver’s insurer will pay the compensation. However, if you have been hit by a stolen car, who pays for the compensation? The Motor Insurers Bureau MIB can be contacted and claimed through when a stolen or uninsured vehicles hit yours and causes damage and injury. We explain more about this as we go through the guide.
This guide will explain what happens if you are hit by a stolen car. We will also advise you on what to do if an uninsured driver hits you. If you wish to claim compensation for injuries sustained in a car accident, don’t hesitate to contact Legal Expert today. If we can see that you are owed compensation, we connect you with a skilled lawyer to handle your claim.
What Is An Accident Involving A Stolen Car
An accident involving a stolen car is often caused by reckless driving. A car accident can happen if the driver comes off the road or collides with another vehicle. What’s more, a vehicle accident can also take place if the driver hits a pedestrian, a cyclist or another road user.
Road traffic accidents can happen at junctions if a driver pulls out without giving way to the oncoming car. Similarly, a driver can hit a cyclist or motorbike rider at a turning if they fail to use proper observation techniques. In addition, rear-end collisions can happen if the car drives too close to the car in front of it. Rear-end shunts can cause whiplash and other injuries.
How Many Cars Get Stolen In The UK Per Year?
This Office for National Statistics has produced some figures in relation to vehicle crime for England and Wales. From April 2019 to March 2020, 10 incidents of theft and /or damage caused by stolen vehicles costs between £500-£999. Additional 2 incidents for the same category cost between £5000 and £9,999. According to the source below altogether for the UK, there were 74,769 recorded vehicle robberies.
Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/15-cars-most-likely-stolen-23402451
What Is The Motor Insurer’s Bureau?
The Motor Insurer’s Bureau (MIB) is an organisation set up to pay compensation to people who an uninsured driver or untraced driver hit. The MIB was established in 1946, it is funded by insurance premiums.
In the UK, all drivers are legally required to have motor insurance. According to the Motor Insurance Bureau, there are one million uninsured drivers on the roads today. Therefore the MIB compensates, those who have been hit by drivers who do not have insurance cover. A driver who has stolen a car won’t have motor insurance.
Moreover, the Motor Insurance Bureau also offers untraced driver compensation. Whereby car accident victims can claim compensation if an untraced driver has hit them. This type of accident is also known as a hit and run accident. A driver may flee the scene of an accident because the vehicle is stolen, or they are not insured.
If you have been hit by an uninsured driver you may still be able to claim compensation. You can potentially claim compensation from the Motor Insurance Bureau. Trust Legal Expert to handle your compensation claim. Our solicitors can negotiate with the MIB to ensure you receive the right amount of compensation. Contact us today to begin your claim.
Who Is Liable For Stolen Car Accidents?
Being injured in a car accident can be a distressing experience, especially if the accident was caused by the other driver showing little regard for your safety. But if you were hit by a stolen car, this adds a further layer of complexity to the case. If you were hit by a stolen car, who pays for the damage?
Here is where the Motor Insurance Bureau could potentially help. Please collect as much evidence as possible to support your claim.
How Do You Show Who Is Liable?
How is liability established following a car accident? Just because a stolen car or insured vehicle is involved in an accident will not automatically mean they are at fault. The MIB or insurers will still want to find out who is liable for the accident. If you are in a collision with an uninsured driver it does not automatically qualify you for compensation. As if you are liable for the accident the MIB would not pay you out.
Causes of road traffic accidents include the following:
- The driver didn’t obey the speed limit.
- Or the driver didn’t observe traffic signals.
- Or the driver proceeds forward when it is not their right of way.
- The driver does not give way properly at a junction. Consequently, the driver could pull out into oncoming traffic.
- On the other hand, a driver does not check their side mirrors before turning. Subsequently, the car could hit a bike or motorbike as they turn.
To claim compensation, you need to show that you did not cause the accident. This evidence can include information from the police report, CCTV footage, dashcam footage and eyewitness statements.
Is Your Claim Affected By Criminal Proceedings?
An individual who has stolen a car has committed a criminal offence. The investigation generally should not prevent you from making a claim through the MIB. However, you would still need to establish liability. If liability was in question, meaning who caused the accident, this may cause a delay while further investigations are undertaken.
Claiming compensation for an accident involving a stolen car can be complicated. A claims advisor can speak to you about claiming compensation for injuries caused by an accident in a stolen car. Please feel free to call our claims helpline to discuss the matter with an advisor.
How Long Do You Have To Make A Claim?
Normally there is a three-year time limit to make a personal injury claim. The time limit starts at the time that the accident happened. Or the time limit begins when you realised that you had been injured or your injury was caused through negligence. There are exceptions to this rule especially for cases involving children and those who do not have the mental capabilities to claim for themselves.
If you make a personal injury claim through the Motor Insurance Bureau, the personal injury claims time limit is three years. We recommend that you contact Legal Expert as soon as possible to avoid falling outside of the personal injury claims time limit.
Hit By A Stolen Car Who Pays For The Damage – Calculating Compensation
If you make a successful personal injury claim your settlement can be made up of two Heads of Loss. These are general damages and special damages. This section looks specifically at general damages. General damages are awarded for the pain and suffering caused by the accident. They cover both physical injuries and mental suffering. The figures in the table are for general damages alone. Therefore the next section will look at losses and expenses.
How much compensation can you claim if you were hit by a stolen car? You can use the compensation table below to estimate how much compensation you may be eligible to claim for your injuries.
Category Of Injury | Severity | Possible Compensation | Injury Assessment |
---|---|---|---|
Finger Injury | (k) | £13,970 to £15,330 | Serious injuries which affect the middle or ring finger(s). The injury could be a broken bone or damage to the tendon. |
Wrist Injury | (a) | £44,690 to £56,180 | The injury is serious enough to have caused this person to have no useful function in the wrist. |
Hand Injury | Serious (e) | £27,220 to £58,100 | Serious injuries to the hands reduce the usefulness of the hand by as much as half. Examples of the injury could be having lost several fingers which are then reattached. |
Hand Injury | Less serious (g) | £13,570 to £27,220 | The hand injury is less serious but has still reduced the function of this person’s hand. |
Other Arm Injury | Severe (a) | £90,250 to £122,860 | These are serious degrees of injury to the claimants arm. This injury does fall short of requiring amputation, but the arm can not be used. |
Neck Injury | Moderate (i) | £23,460 to £36,120 | There could be a dislocated neck injury which leads to immediate symptoms affecting the claimant. The person will need immediate healthcare. |
Back Injury | Severe (ii) | £69,600 to £82,98 | There is a category of injury above and below this category for more or less severe injuries. Injuries fitting into this bracket may include some special circumstances. |
Severe Leg Injury | Very Serious (ii) | £51,460 to £85,600 | A victim could have sustained a leg injury which causes permanent problems with mobility. The claimant could need a mobility aid. |
Foot Injury | (d) | £39,390 to £65,710 | This may include circumstances where you have broken both heel bones (heel bone in both feet). As a result of this, your mobility could be restricted. |
Foot Injury | (g) | Up to £12,900 | More modest foot injuries such as ruptured ligaments or broken bones. |
The compensation payouts in this table are based on guidelines from the Judicial College. This publication is often used by legal professionals in England and Wales to hone in on a value for different kinds of suffering. The figures have been depicted from past cases.
Please be aware that the compensation paid out can vary from case to case, based on individual circumstances. For a personalised quote, please call our claims helpline today to speak to an advisor.
Special Damages Awarded For Stolen Car Accidents
As we said previously a settlement will be made up of damages. General damages are compensation for the pain and suffering the injuries have caused. General damages can include compensation for psychological injuries. Such as compensation for anxiety after a car accident.
Moreover, some claimants also receive special damages. Special damages are compensation to repay you for any out of pocket expenses caused by your injuries. You must provide evidence of special damages. This can include receipts, bills and bank stamens.
Below are some examples of special damages you could claim:
- Property damage
- Car repair costs
- Loss of income
- Care expenses
- Medical expenses
- Mobility equipment costs
- Home adaptation costs
- Travel expenses
Hit By A Stolen Car Who Pays Damages – No Win No Fee Claim?
A Conditional Fee Agreement or No Win No Fee agreement is one way to fund the services of your solicitor. When you make a No Win No Fee claim, you will not pay a solicitors fee before work begins on your claim. Rather, the solicitor will give you a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) to sign. A Conditional Fee Agreement is an agreement between you and your solicitor. It will state that you will pay a success fee if the claim is won. Therefore, if your solicitor does not win your claim, you will not have to pay a success fee.
There are many reasons why some claimants prefer to hire a solicitor that offers No Win No Fee terms. For example, the financial risk is may be lowered. The financial risk is lower because you will only pay your success fee if your injury claim succeeds. What’s more, the majority of your compensation payout will go directly to you.
In addition, many claimants find No Win No Fee is the more affordable option. No Win No Fee solicitors may be more affordable because your solicitor will deduct your success fee from your compensation payout. So, you don’t have to worry about paying your solicitor before work starts on your claim. To learn more about making a No Win No Fee claim, read our online guide today.
Contact Legal Expert
If a stolen vehicle has injured you, please contact Legal Expert today to begin your compensation claim.
- Call us on 0800 073 8804 to speak with a legal advisor.
- Or you can contact us in writing via LegalExpert.co.uk.
- You also have the option to use our chat widget to speak to us directly.
Useful References
Thank you for reading this guide on, hit by a stolen car, and who pays your damages? You may also wish to read these resources to learn more.
Vehicle safety checks – a guide from THINK!
Information and guidance – Information for victims of road traffic accidents from charity Brake
Check someone’s driving licence information – A government resource
We also have some other guides on car accident claims that you may find useful:
- A guide to car accident claims
- Check out our frequently asked questions (FAQ) page on car accidents
- A guide to serious injury car accident claims
- Learn what to do if you suffer from tinnitus after a car accident
- What causes neck pain after a car accident?
- Car accidents caused by faulty traffic lights
- Can you claim for a car accident without an injury?
- What to do if you have a car accident
- A guide to child car accident claims
- How to claim if a pre-existing injury got worse after a car crash
- Claiming for nerve damage caused by a car accident
- Ice or snow car accident claims
- What to do if you suffer an injury in a car accident
- Car accidents involving bends on the road – a guide on what to do
- Company car accident claims
- A guide to drink driving car accidents
- Car accidents caused by family members and friends
- How to claim for a brain injury from a car accident
- A guide to foreign vehicle accident claims
- How to claim for an ambulance crash or collisions with police cars or fire engines
- How to prove a car accident was not your fault
- Car accident injury payouts – a guide to compensation awards
- Passenger car accident claims – a detailed guide
- Car accidents caused by mud on the road
- How to prove an injury from a car accident
- I was injured in a car accident without insurance, can I still claim?
- Car accident compensation payout examples
- I was injured in a car accident – what are my rights?
- A car hit me from behind, do I need to pay the excess fee?
- How long does car accident compensation take to come through?
- A guide to hit and run pedestrian accidents
- What are the new whiplash claim rules?
- What to do if an insurance company denies liability in a car crash case?
- Car accident claim time limit
- How long do I have to make a car accident claim?
- A guide to careless and dangerous driving
- What is an excess fee under car insurance?
- How to report a car accident
Many thanks for reading our guide to what if you are hit by a stolen car, who pays for the damages?
Written By Cheleache
Edited By Melissa.