The First Hour
It is a miserable spot to be in. Your car is damaged, the other driver has gone, and you know you were not to blame. If someone is badly hurt or there is immediate danger, ring 999 first. Everything else waits. Then write down what you can while it is fresh: the time and place, which way the other vehicle went, what it looked like, and any part of the registration you caught. Half a number plate is worth having. If you can do so safely, photograph the damage, the wider scene and any debris left on the road. Ask anyone who saw it for a phone number or email. Check your dashcam, and look around for CCTV. After that, report it to the police, then to your insurer, and keep the police reference number somewhere you will find it again. If your car was parked and empty when it was hit, my car was hit while parked goes through much the same evidence steps.
The Police Report, and the Deadline That Applies to You
The driver who left has broken the law. In England, Wales and Scotland, section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 says a driver involved in an accident that damages another vehicle must stop and, if asked, give their name, address and the vehicle's registration. A driver who does not give those details has to tell the police as soon as reasonably practicable, and no later than 24 hours afterwards. Northern Ireland has its own road traffic legislation. You are on a clock as well, and this is the date to put in your phone. According to the MIB, if you want to claim through its untraced driver process, the hit and run must be reported to the police within 14 days. Leave it longer and that route may be closed to you. In England and Wales, find your local force on Police.uk[3], or ring 101 if it is not an emergency. In Scotland the report goes to Police Scotland, and in Northern Ireland to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). Whoever takes it, note the crime reference number and the name or collar number of any officer you deal with. Keep copies of letters and emails. You may need them months down the line.
Will the MIB Pay for the Car?
That mostly depends on whether the driver is identified or stays untraced. The MIB runs a separate scheme for each, with different eligibility rules and processes. Northern Ireland works under its own 2023 agreements, so check the MIB website for how vehicle damage is treated there[4]. If the MIB tracks the driver down and they are insured, it will usually pass the claim to their insurer. If they turn out to have no insurance, the MIB may be able to consider a vehicle damage claim under its uninsured drivers arrangements, subject to eligibility and to how the accident happened. The untraced case is where a lot of people come unstuck. The claim stays with the MIB, and the untraced driver agreements generally exclude damage caused by an unidentified vehicle. It is considered only if both of these apply:
- a "significant personal injury" award has been paid to a claimant for the same incident, meaning an injury that leads to death, to at least two nights in hospital as an inpatient, or to at least three hospital outpatient treatment sessions; and
- the damage to property is more than the applicable excess.
Put bluntly: car damaged, nobody seriously hurt, and the MIB route for the car itself will usually be shut. Read the MIB's eligibility guidance before you pick a next step[5]. If you still cannot tell whether you qualify, contact the MIB claims team through its website. Injury claims are dealt with in a separate article.
Your Own Policy is Often the Realistic Option
Most policies require you to tell your insurer about any accident, even if you don't plan to claim. Check your policy terms. When the driver cannot be found and the MIB will not cover the damage, your own insurance is often what is left. Comprehensive cover may pay for repairs, subject to the policy wording and your excess. Third-party-only and third-party, fire and theft policies may pay nothing towards damage to your own car after a collision. That catches drivers out more than almost anything else here. When you ring, find out whether this damage is covered and what your excess is. Ask whether you can choose the garage and whether the policy includes a replacement vehicle. And ask what a claim would do to your no-claims discount and future premiums, because that answer may change whether you claim at all. Our guides on vehicle repairs after an accident and on whether a non fault accident can affect your premium go into more detail.
Where Accident Management Fits, and Where It Doesn't
After a collision, accident management companies may arrange recovery, repairs or a replacement vehicle; what an accident management company does sets out the usual help. On a non fault car accident claim, what you can get depends on your circumstances and on whether the costs can be recovered from someone. With a hit and run, that last condition is the problem. Credit-based services, including many non fault accident repairs, are normally paid by claiming their costs back from an identified at-fault insurer. No known driver can mean no insurer to send the bill to. That limits what can be offered. If you are offered a hire car or repairs on credit, the hire company or repairer will look to the at-fault insurer for payment once liability is accepted or established. If liability is disputed, or the money simply cannot be recovered, some or all of those charges could land on you. Someone should take you through the terms before you sign. So ask before you agree to anything. Who is supplying the car or doing the repair? How do they get paid? What happens if the driver is never found, and could you end up paying any of it yourself? None of this replaces your own obligations. You still report the collision and tell your insurer. Accident management sits on top of your policy; it does not stand in for it.
If the Driver Turns Up Later
Sometimes the police or the MIB identify the driver after the event. If they had insurance, the claim may go to their insurer. If they had none, the MIB may look at it under its uninsured driver arrangements. A name on its own does not mean every repair and hire bill gets paid, though. Liability still has to be established, and so does the amount, which is why you keep the evidence, estimates, invoices and correspondence.
Common Questions
I only caught part of the number plate. Should I still report it? Yes. A partial registration, with the colour, make, model and direction of travel, can still help identify the car. Do not wait for the rest to come back to you. Will the MIB pay for damage caused by an untraced driver? Usually not. Damage from an unidentified vehicle is excluded unless a significant personal injury award has been paid for the same incident and the damage is more than the applicable excess. Could a hit and run claim affect my no-claims discount? It might. That depends on your policy, whether your insurer pays for the damage and whether it can get the money back from another insurer. Ask how the claim will be recorded and whether your discount or premium could change. Is dashcam footage worth keeping? Yes, and save the original file quickly. Many cameras record over older clips. Tell the police and your insurer you have it.
What to Do Next
Report it promptly and keep the police reference; if an untraced driver claim is possible, the MIB's 14-day reporting requirement is the date that matters. Keep the photos, witness details, dashcam footage, repair estimates and all correspondence in one place. Then talk to your insurer about your cover, the excess, how repairs are handled and what could happen to your no-claims discount. Read the MIB rules, bearing in mind that the untraced driver scheme puts significant limits on vehicle damage claims. If you are offered an accident management agreement, read that properly too, and be clear on how charges are recovered and at what point they could become yours to pay. A hit and run narrows your options. It does not leave you with none. The right route depends on your evidence, your insurance and whether the other driver is ever identified. To compare routes, see what to do after a car accident and accident management company vs insurance; how accident management companies work explains the process, and the Claimsline homepage summarises the services. Work through these points before you commit to repairs or anything on credit.
How Claimsline Can Help
Claimsline is an accident management company for drivers who believe their accident wasn't their fault. Claimsline can talk you through the options after a non-fault accident and, where appropriate, arrange support through its working partners, who may speak to insurers where needed. Replacement vehicles and repairs may be provided on credit terms. Where liability is accepted or established, the hire company or repairer seeks the charges from the at-fault insurer. If liability is disputed or costs can't be recovered, you could become responsible for some or all charges. Depending on your policy terms, your own insurer may still need to be told as well. If you believe your accident wasn't your fault and want to understand your options, you can call Claimsline on 0333 006 8282. Claimsline is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in respect of regulated claims management activities (FRN 831196).
References:
- Reporting rules are not identical across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and the differences are flagged below - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/section/170
- it helps to know who the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) is - https://www.mib.org.uk/make-a-claim/how-the-claims-process-works/
- find your local force on Police.uk - https://www.police.uk/
- Northern Ireland works under its own 2023 agreements, so check the MIB website for how vehicle damage is treated there - https://www.mib.org.uk/about-mib/governance-and-compliance/
- Read the MIB's eligibility guidance before you pick a next step - https://www.mib.org.uk/make-a-claim/can-i-claim-with-mib/
