Child Knocked Down at Crossing Receives £14,000

A young boy who was hit by a car at a pedestrian crossing has been awarded £14,000 in compensation.

Liam Brickell, who was three years old at the time of the accident, and his mother were both hit by the vehicle. The accident occurred because the driver, who was uninsured and was also disqualified from driving, failed to stop at a red light. The car was later found abandoned nearby.

Liam suffered cuts and bruises all over his body as well as a six-inch gash in the back of his head. Although he escaped brain damage, he suffered painful headaches for six months after the accident.

In the future, he is likely to require plastic surgery to hide the scarring left by his injuries.

Although the driver of the car was uninsured, it was possible to claim compensation from the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB). The MIB was established in 1946 to compensate the victims of negligent uninsured and untraced motorists. Every insurer underwriting compulsory motor insurance is obliged, under the Road Traffic Act 1988, to be a member of the MIB and to contribute to its funding.

The driver was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and banned from driving for five years.

If you are involved in an accident involving an uninsured driver, compensation may be available through the MIB. This is not widely known, leaving many people who find themselves in such a situation under the impression that they have no right of redress.