Compensation for Hit & Run Road Accidents in Ireland – Claiming against MIBI

What happens if the liable driver remains unidentified?

In cases where no details of the driver responsible for the accident have been obtained, i.e., the driver remains unidentified, the MIBI is not liable to compensate the injured party for damage to their vehicle. The only exception to this rule is where the injured party suffers substantial personal injuries involving an inpatient hospital stay of 5 days or more. Payment in these circumstances will be subject to a €500 excess payable by the injured party. However, the MIBI has agreed with its member companies, where the injured party holds comprehensive insurance, that the vehicle insurer will deal with the vehicle damage. This agreement guarantees protection of the injured parties no claims bonus. Your insurer will also NOT deduct or charge any excess. In simple terms, this means that your insurer will pay for the damage to your car and your no claims bonus will remain intact, as long as you hold a valid comprehensive insurance policy. 

What to do if you have NO insurance details from the other party

It is also important to note that if you did not obtain the insurance details of the offending vehicle at the time of the accident, but you do have the registration number, you can complete an enquiry form on the MIBI website and request the details of the relevant insurer. In order to submit this enquiry form, which you will find on the homepage of the MIBI website, you will require the following information:

• Your own contact information.
• Location of the accident (country).
• Date of the accident.
• Registration of the offending vehicle.
• Make and model of the offending vehicle (not mandatory)
• Type of vehicle i.e., car, truck, van etc.
• Country of registration of the offending vehicle (not mandatory)

What happens if the accident occurred outside the State?

The MIBI also handle claims involving vehicles registered outside the State. This is known as the Green Card System. It is important that the MIBI be notified of such a claim as soon as possible to allow them to investigate the circumstances of the accident. If you are the victim of a road traffic accident involving a vehicle registered outside the State, then you should ensure to obtain as much information as possible relating to the offending vehicle such as:

• The registration number.
• The make and model of the vehicle.
• The name of the driver.
• The country of origin.
• The insurance details.

Can I get compensation for a claim outside the State?

In claims involving a vehicle registered outside the State, the MIBI will compensate the injured party for the damage caused to their vehicle. In order for the MIBI to cover this damage, they must be provided with the registration number of the offending vehicle. If you are unable to obtain the registration number of the offending vehicle, and you hold a valid comprehensive policy, you can claim for the damage on your own policy of insurance. Your insurer will then be reimbursed by the MIBI under the Green Card System. Once all of the relevant information has been passed on to the MIBI and investigations have been completed they will pass the file over to the nominated agent of the foreign insurer. If there is no nominated agent, the MIBI will pass the file to a claims handling service and the claim will proceed through PIAB in the usual way.

What is the Green Card System?

The Green Card system guarantees that a victim suffering damage from a road traffic accident, caused by a foreign vehicle (from one of the participating countries) will be compensated in the county where the accident occurred. The following countries are included in the Green Card System:

• A – Austria (since 1954)
• AL – Albania (since 1992)
• AND – Andorra (since 1996)
• AZ – Azerbaijan (since 2016)
• B – Belgium (since 1949)
• BG – Bulgaria (since 1971)
• BIH – Bosnia and Herzegovina (since 1996)
• BY – Belarus (since 2003)
• CH – Switzerland (since 1949)
• CY – Cyprus (since 1996)
• CZ – Czech Republic (since 1949)
• D – Germany (since 1951)
• DK – Denmark (since 1949)
• E – Spain (since 1953)
• EST – Estonia (since 1992)
• F – France (since 1949)
• FIN – Finland (since 1949)
• GR – Greece (since 1949)
• H – Hungary (since 1960)
• HR – Croatia (since 1992)
• I – Italy (since 1953)
• IR – Iran (since 1976)
• IRL – Ireland (since 1949)
• IS – Iceland (since 1970)
• L – Luxembourg (since 1949)
• LT – Lithuania (since 2003)
• LV – Latvia (since 1998)
• M – Malta (since 1985)
• MA – Morocco (since 1969)
• MD – Moldova (since 1997)
• MK – North Macedonia (since 1994)
• MNE – Montenegro (since 2012)
• N – Norway (since 1949)
• NL – Netherlands (since 1949)
• P – Portugal (since 1953)
• PL – Poland (since 1958)
• RO – Romania (since 1965)
• RUS – Russia (since 2009)
• S – Sweden (since 1949)
• SK – Slovakia (since 1949)
• SLO – Slovenia (since 1992)
• SRB – Serbia (since 1954)
• TN – Tunisia (since 1969)
• TR – Türkiye (since 1964)
• UA – Ukraine (since 1997)
• UK – United Kingdom (since 1949)