Who pays when the at-fault vehicle was unregistered
State Nominal Defendant funds, MAIB / MAC / TAC equivalents, or Insurance Commissions cover injuries caused by unregistered or unidentified vehicles. The same body that handles hit-and-run claims usually handles uninsured-vehicle claims.
Where the vehicle is identified but unregistered, the registered owner / driver may also be personally liable in addition to the statutory scheme. Specialist lawyers will pursue all available defendants.
How this differs from hit-and-run claims
- Identified driver: a personal common-law claim against the driver may also be possible
- Wider deadlines: timing is sometimes more relaxed than pure hit-and-run because the vehicle is identified
- Recovery of CTP funds: the Nominal Defendant typically pursues the unregistered driver to recover paid amounts (your claim is unaffected by whether they recover)
Claim process
- Police report - crucial for establishing the vehicle was unregistered
- Get a confirmation from the relevant transport authority that the vehicle was unregistered at the time of the accident
- Lodge a claim with the Nominal Defendant / equivalent body within the state's deadline
- Statutory benefits begin once liability is accepted
- Common-law claim against the driver personally proceeds in parallel where applicable