Uber driver hit by an uninsured driver in the UK — what to do

**Bottom line:** if you're a UK PCO driver and you've been hit by an uninsured (or untraced) driver, you can recover the cost of your repair, hire car, lost earnings, and personal injury through the **Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB)** — even though the at-fault driver isn't insured. You don't need to use your own policy and your no-claims bonus stays clean if you handle it correctly.

What "uninsured driver" actually means in this context

There are two overlapping scenarios the MIB covers:

• **Uninsured driver claim** — the other vehicle's driver is identified, but they have no valid insurance policy (lapsed cover, fronting, never insured). - **Untraced driver claim** (often called a hit-and-run claim) — the other driver leaves the scene and you can't identify the vehicle or driver afterwards.

Both routes are handled by the **MIB** under the [Uninsured Drivers' Agreement 2015](https://www.mib.org.uk/) and the Untraced Drivers' Agreement. The legal framework already exists — you just need to use it.

Step 1 — At the scene (the first 30 minutes matter)

The MIB process is paperwork-heavy. The quality of your evidence at the scene controls how easily you recover the cost. Do these in order:

1. **Call the police on 101** — get a Crime Reference Number (CR/...). The MIB will not progress an untraced-driver claim without one. 2. **Photograph everything** — the third-party plate, your damage, the scene wide-angle, any debris, road signs, weather. Time-stamped on your phone is fine. 3. **Get witness details** — name, mobile, brief account of what they saw. A 30-second voice memo is fine. 4. **Note CCTV** — if there's a TfL camera, a bus camera, a shopfront camera, or a passing dashcam, write down what you remember. We can request the footage later. 5. **Don't admit liability** — even if you think you might have been partially at fault. Say "I can't comment, my claims handler will be in touch." 6. **Don't accept cash** — if the other driver offers to "sort it without going through insurance," that's usually because they're uninsured. Decline and report.

Step 2 — Within 24 hours

PCO drivers can't afford to be off the road. Within the first day:

• **Report the claim to a specialist accident management firm** (us, or a competitor). Generalist insurers tend to underprice or delay PCO claims because they don't understand TfL-compliance or loss-of-earnings on ride-hailing income. - **Get a TfL-compliant replacement vehicle** so you can keep working. For non-fault claims (including against uninsured drivers via the MIB), credit hire is recoverable from the at-fault party — meaning you pay £0 and the cost is recovered later from the MIB. - **Submit your claim to the MIB**: this is administratively heavy, which is why most drivers go through a claims management firm to handle it.

If you're reading this with damage right now, [start your claim here](/submit-claim) — we'll arrange recovery within an hour and a replacement within 24.

Step 3 — Through the MIB process (the timeline)

Untraced/uninsured-driver claims through the MIB are slower than ordinary insurer-to-insurer claims. Realistic timeline:

• **Week 1**: claim submitted, MIB acknowledges, file opened - **Weeks 2–6**: evidence-gathering — police reports, CCTV, witness statements, your medical evidence - **Weeks 6–12**: liability assessment by the MIB - **Weeks 12–26**: settlement negotiation on quantum (vehicle damage, hire, lost earnings, injury) - **Weeks 26+**: payment

PCO drivers often think this means £0 income for 6 months. It doesn't — credit hire and emergency loss-of-earnings interim payments cover most of the gap.

What you can recover

Through the MIB, the following are all recoverable:

• **Vehicle repair** — full cost of repair at your chosen bodyshop. We use ours; you can use any reputable one. - **Replacement vehicle (credit hire)** — TfL-compliant car from day one, kept until your vehicle is back on the road. - **Loss of earnings** — every day off the road, evidenced by bank statements or tax returns. For full-time PCO drivers this is often the largest line of the claim. - **Recovery and storage** — picking your vehicle up from the scene and storing it until repair authorisation. - **Personal injury** — whiplash, soft tissue, more serious. The OIC portal handles claims under £5,000 (the small-claims limit), more serious injuries route through a panel solicitor. - **Excess** — if you went through your own insurer first, the MIB reimburses any excess paid.

What you can't recover

The MIB does **not** cover:

• Damage caused by your own vehicle defects (an uninsured driver hitting you doesn't mean we ignore your bald tyres) - Drink-driving or driving uninsured yourself (you must have valid insurance for the MIB to engage) - Foreign-registered uninsured drivers in some scenarios — there's a separate Green Card system

Common mistakes that cost PCO drivers thousands

We see these constantly. Don't do any of them:

1. **Going through your own insurer**. They'll log it as a fault claim, hit your no-claims bonus, take the excess, and recover from the MIB themselves — but you pay in lost premiums for years afterwards. 2. **Accepting £200 cash from the other driver**. Sounds like a good deal at the scene. Doesn't cover hire car, doesn't cover repair, doesn't cover lost earnings. 3. **Not getting a Crime Reference Number**. Without it, the MIB can take 6+ months to engage on an untraced claim — or refuse entirely. 4. **Driving the damaged vehicle home anyway**. If it's undriveable, get recovery. Driving it can trigger insurance issues that the MIB later uses to reduce your settlement. 5. **Waiting more than a few days to report**. Memory fades, CCTV gets overwritten, witnesses become unreachable. Report within 24 hours.

Why use a claims management firm for an uninsured-driver claim

Three reasons:

• **MIB paperwork is heavy** — Form-13s, claim forms, supporting evidence, medical reports. We handle every step. - **Specialist solicitor instruction** — for personal injury or larger quantum disputes, you need a solicitor who knows the MIB process. Our panel does. - **Replacement vehicle from day one** — you don't have £4,000+ sitting around to pay for a hire car for 12 weeks while the MIB processes.

FAQ

**Q: Will my insurance premium go up?** A: No, if handled as a non-fault MIB claim through a claims management firm — your insurer never sees it as a fault claim and your NCD stays clean.

**Q: How much can I claim for loss of earnings?** A: Whatever you actually lost, evidenced. For a full-time PCO driver, that's typically £400–£900/week. [Use our loss of earnings calculator](/loss-of-earnings-calculator) to estimate.

**Q: What if the other driver is identified but uninsured?** A: The MIB still pays under the Uninsured Drivers' Agreement. The MIB then pursues the uninsured driver themselves — that's their problem, not yours.

**Q: I think they had insurance but it might have lapsed. How do I check?** A: Check the [askMID database](https://www.askmid.com/) free with the registration. If it returns "no record," the vehicle is uninsured.

**Q: Can I claim if I was partially at fault?** A: Yes, but the settlement may be reduced proportionally (split liability). Your contributory negligence is assessed during the MIB process.

**Q: How quickly can I get a replacement vehicle?** A: Same-day delivery anywhere in London for our PCO drivers. 24 hours UK-wide. [Request a replacement](/replacement-vehicle).

**Q: Do I need a solicitor?** A: For pure vehicle damage claims, no — a claims management firm handles the MIB direct. For personal injury or contested liability, yes — and we'll instruct a panel solicitor on a no-win-no-fee basis.

What to do right now

If your accident happened in the last 7 days and the other driver was uninsured or hit-and-run, [submit a claim](/submit-claim) — we'll have a replacement vehicle to you within 24 hours and start the MIB process immediately. No upfront cost. Call **0208 090 8872** if you'd rather speak to someone.

For more on the MIB and how it differs from insurer-to-insurer claims, see our [uninsured driver claims guide](/uninsured-driver-claims).