With JMW's help, a cyclist that was involved in a hit and run has received £19,000.

Mr P was a cyclist who was knocked off his bike by a driver on his way home.  He sustained injuries to his mouth and lost three teeth as a result of the accident. He decided to make a claim for his injuries and dealt with JMW Solicitors LLP. 

The case

Mr P was cycling home when he was struck in the back of his leg and was knocked off his bike by a car that failed to stop.  He was thrown over a parked car and landed in front of it, losing one tooth and damaging his mouth as it struck the parked car’s rear spoiler. 

After Mr P made his way home, his partner took him to A&E, where he was referred to a dentist.  The dentist advised him that he would need to have a further two teeth extracted, as the accident had made them unstable.  He was also given a temporary bridge.  

Mr P’s partner mentioned his accident on Facebook, where a friend recommended JMW if he was considering making a cycling injury claim.  He chose to get in touch with us and asked us to handle his case. 

Motor Insurance Bureau

The driver that knocked Mr P off his bike drove off after the accident and could not be traced.  We, therefore, pursued Mr P’s claim with the Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB).  The MIB is a fund that was established in order to offer compensation to victims of negligent drivers of vehicles that are either uninsured or cannot be traced. 

The MIB is not able to cover all legal costs in cases where the driver remains untraced, so all claimant solicitors need to seek an agreement directly with the client to cover the rest of their fee.  We advised Mr P that although no fee would be claimed if his claim was unsuccessful, we would claim 25% of his overall settlement if it were successful. 

Pursuing the claim

When we contacted the MIB, we ensured that Mr P had completed a claim form, outlining the circumstances of the accident and granting permission for them to have copies of Mr P’s medical records.  We made sure this information was accurate and forwarded it to the MIB. 

After investigating the case, the MIB agreed that the untraceable driver was liable for the accident and that they would be able to compensate Mr P. 

Through an independent medical agency agreed on by the MIB and ourselves, Mr P was examined by a dentist, who prepared a report of his injuries.  The report reiterated that Mr P had lost three teeth as a result of the accident, two of which had been removed.  It recommended an implant support bridge be fitted to Mr P’s mouth. 

Final settlement

After receiving the report, the MIB offered Mr P £6,000 in respect of his injury and £13,000 for his dental treatments.  We felt this was an appropriate figure and advised Mr P to accept the offer, which he did. 

We were keen to make sure that Mr P was able to get the full benefit of the award in respect of his dental treatment, and so we agreed that the 25% of Mr P’s award that we would claim as payment, would only be applied to the £6,000 compensation for his injury, and not the £13,000 for his dental treatment. 

Mr P said: “I found Michelle to be very good throughout the case, very honest and very straightforward.  I hadn’t heard of the MIB before and didn’t realise this was an option to help claim compensation in circumstances like mine.  I’m also very happy with the way my case was handled by Michelle and JMW and pleased to have discovered you through a friend’s recommendation.”