Insurance Post claims awards shortlist MIB's victim centred, collaborative approach

An unfortunate reality of MIB’s role in compensating victims of uninsured and untraced drivers is the catastrophic consequences for victims of some of the accidents involved. Getting these people back into the position they were before the incident can be a huge challenge, particularly when they suffer multiple traumatic injuries.

Putting the victim at the heart of the process is the central aim of our claims handling philosophy.

Critical to ensuring the best possible long term outcome for victims in these cases is to ensure that rehabilitation is started at the earliest possible opportunity - often before the question of liability has been settled.

When a victim suffers multiple traumatic injuries, success can be dependent on a combination of swift action and the provision of wrap-around support centred on their immediate and longer term needs. It is also dependant on good collaboration between compensator and the victim’s representatives.

At MIB, these cases are dealt with by a specialist team who are skilled in complex and brain injury cases and able to quickly assess the best course of action.

One such example involved a 28 year old male pedestrian who was struck by an uninsured vehicle and suffered a severe brain injury and multiple other traumatic injuries.

An expert rehabilitation manager was quickly appointed. The rehabilitation manager’s first duty is always to the claimant. They act as an advocate, mentor and co-ordinator of many aspects of the claim, clinical recovery, on-going rehabilitation and social care.

In this case, following an initial needs assessment, the rehabilitation manager took the lead on the liaison with the victim’s legal representative family, employer and the clinical and rehabilitation teams. This meant that he was freed from the complications and delays of fragmented medical and social services and able to focus fully on his recovery.

Due to the severity of his injuries, the victim in this case faces significant challenges in his recovery. His ultimate goal is to return to his former occupation and regain the ability to live independently. Following the early intervention and intensive support he’s received, he has already been able to make a limited return to work and can manage basic day to day living tasks with support. The case manager will continue to guide and support his rehabilitation.

MIB’s approach and collaboration with Moore Blatch solicitors was shortlisted in this year’s Insurance Post Claims awards which shows sound recognition for an approach which genuinely makes a difference to injured victims’ ability to recover and rebuild their lives.