0800 689 3206

Road Traffic Collision Involving a Foreign Vehicle

The Brexit deadline is looming and vehicles registered outside of the UK will continue to come into the country delivering our goods and carrying holidaymakers and visitors. What happens if you are unfortunate enough to have an accident with one of these vehicles and it wasn't your fault?

Most foreign vehicles will be covered by the 'Green Card' scheme. The Road Traffic Act 1988 requires all vehicles to be compulsory insured in the UK. In the event of no insurance, the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) will cover uninsured losses.

If you are unlucky enough to be caught up in an accident that was not your fault you should be able to make a claim for any injuries and losses. The MIB's website has list of insurers who cover foreign vehicles. A simple enquiry to them should result in them being able to provide the UK appointed representative who will deal with your claim. If for some reason they cannot be identified or there is no insurance the MIB will deal with the claim.

You will need to obtain as much information as possible from the other driver.

• Name
• Address
• Make, model and registration number of the vehicle
• Country the vehicle is registered in
• Any insurance details
• In the case of an HGV both the front (tractor unit) and rear (trailer) registration numbers
• Take a picture of the scene and the driver if possible.

Call the police if you are unable to obtain this information. They may be able to help. If the foreign insurers have no representative in this country, then the MIB will act on their behalf.

Starting a claim is usually straightforward. The Pre-action Protocol for Personal Injury Claims sets out a process for claiming along with various timescales. The rules in Scotland or Northern Ireland are slightly different. The insurer has a maximum of 42 days to acknowledge the letter of claim and six months to provide a formal response to the claim. If necessary, proceedings can be issued to enforce the claim and move it along.

Don't let the fact you have been involved in an accident with a foreign vehicle put you off claiming. Here at Forbes Solicitors, we have experts who can help you recover your losses. We usually act on a no win, no fee basis which enables us to recover our basic costs from the insurers.

For more information contact John Bennett in our Personal Injury department via email or phone on 01254 872111. Alternatively send any question through to Forbes Solicitors via our online Contact Form.

Learn more about our Personal Injury department here

Post Pandemic and Data Protection

How is the cost of non-professional care claimed in a case?