QUICK ANSWER
Yes — you can claim compensation after a hit and run in Scotland even if the driver is never identified. Claims are paid through the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) under the Untraced Drivers Agreement, assessed on the same basis as a court award — typically £1,000 to £92,100+ depending on your injuries, plus lost earnings. Report the incident to the police as soon as possible, then complete the short form for a free, no obligation assessment. No win no fee.
Hit by a Driver Who Didn't Stop? You Can Still Claim.
A hit and run adds insult to injury — quite literally. The other driver had a legal duty to stop under the Road Traffic Act 1988, and instead they left you at the roadside. Many people assume that with no driver and no insurance details, there is nobody to claim against and the compensation simply disappears.
That assumption is wrong, and it costs injured people thousands of pounds every year. The insurance industry funds a body called the Motor Insurers' Bureau precisely for this situation. When the driver who injured you cannot be traced, Scottish Claims Helpline connects you with specialist Scottish solicitors who claim through the MIB on your behalf — on a no win no fee basis, so you pay nothing unless your claim succeeds. For the full detail of how the MIB route works, see our untraced driver claims page.
What To Do After a Hit and Run
The first hours matter more in a hit and run than in any other road accident, because the evidence has to do the work the missing driver's details would normally do. Get yourself safe and get medical attention first. Report the incident to the police as soon as possible — this is a condition of claiming through the MIB, and the police report anchors the whole claim. Note everything you can about the vehicle: a partial registration, the colour, make or model, and the direction it went. Take photographs of the scene and your injuries, ask any witnesses for their details, and check for dashcam footage — your own, other drivers', or nearby CCTV and doorbell cameras, which your solicitor can help recover before it is deleted. Finally, see your GP even if you feel able to carry on: injuries recorded early are injuries that can be compensated later.
How Much Could You Receive?
A common worry is that MIB compensation is somehow a reduced, token amount. It is not. Awards through the MIB are assessed on the same basis as a court would assess them — using the Judicial College Guidelines for the injury, plus special damages for every financial loss.
| Injury Severity |
Typical Award |
| Whiplash and soft tissue injuries with recovery | £1,000 – £10,430 |
| Moderate neck, back and limb injuries | £10,430 – £33,020 |
| Serious orthopaedic injuries — fractures with lasting effects | £33,020 – £92,100 |
| Severe and life-changing injuries | £92,100 – £530,000+ |
Source: Judicial College Guidelines, 18th edition (April 2026). Solatium figures only — special damages are additional.
That's not all. The figures above cover the injury itself. Your total award also includes special damages — lost earnings while you were off work, physiotherapy and treatment costs, medication, travel to appointments, damaged clothing and belongings, and care provided by family while you recovered. For working people these regularly add thousands on top of the table figures.
Who Can Claim?
Anyone injured by an untraced driver can claim through the MIB — drivers, passengers, pedestrians and cyclists. Pedestrians and cyclists are in fact among the most common hit and run claimants, because they carry no insurance details of their own into the incident and the driver knows it. And if the driver is later traced — through CCTV, a partial registration or the police investigation — the claim simply converts into an ordinary claim against their insurer, or an uninsured driver claim if they had no cover.
Hit and Run Claims — Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Even when the driver who hit you was never identified, you can claim compensation through the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) under the Untraced Drivers Agreement. The MIB investigates your claim and pays compensation assessed on the same basis as a court award, including pain and suffering, lost earnings and treatment costs.
Yes. Reporting the incident to the police as soon as reasonably practicable — ideally immediately — is a condition of claiming through the MIB where the driver is untraced. The police report is also key evidence: it fixes the date, location and circumstances, and any partial registration or CCTV enquiries flow from it.
Compensation is assessed exactly as it would be against an insured driver, using the Judicial College Guidelines (18th edition, 2026): from around £1,000 for whiplash-type injuries with a quick recovery to £92,100 or more for serious orthopaedic injuries, and substantially more for life-changing injuries. Lost earnings and treatment costs are added on top.
If the driver is traced, your claim converts to an ordinary claim against their insurer — or, if they turn out to be uninsured, it proceeds through the MIB under the Uninsured Drivers Agreement instead. Either way you do not lose out by starting promptly; the evidence gathered early strengthens whichever route the claim ends up taking.
You have 3 years from the date of the accident to claim for personal injury, mirroring the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973. Shorter deadlines can apply to vehicle damage claims under the MIB agreements, and the police reporting requirement applies from day one — so it is always best to start promptly. Children have longer to claim.
Yes. Passengers, pedestrians and cyclists injured by an untraced driver can all claim through the MIB in the same way as an injured driver. Pedestrians and cyclists are among the most common hit and run claimants.
How Do I Start My Claim?
Contact Scottish Claims Helpline for a free, no obligation assessment. We will review what happened, confirm the MIB route applies, and connect you with a specialist Scottish solicitor who handles hit and run claims on a no win no fee basis. It takes 2 minutes and you pay nothing unless your claim succeeds.
About this page: Written by
David Gildea, Claims Manager and qualified Scottish paralegal at Scottish Claims Helpline. Last reviewed: August 2026. Scottish Claims Helpline is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (
FRN 830381).