MIB: national treasure or pariah?

It is often said that familiarity breeds

contempt. The Motor Insurers

Bureau (MIB) has been around for

approximately 63 years and in that time

it has provided a crucial compensatory

lifeline to countless thousands of victims

of negligent uninsured motorists. It plays

a vital role in the framework of different

protective measures that are designed to

ensure that road accident victims recover

their full compensatory entitlement.

While its public profile may be eclipsed

by road user membership groups such

as the Automobile Association (founded

in 1897), the service it provides is

potentially far more crucial—particularly

for those who are unfortunate enough to

be victims of one of the approximately

1.5 million uninsured drivers who plague

our roads.

And yet for all this, the MIB does not

enjoy the universal esteem of claimant

representatives; indeed it is coming under

increasing pressure for radical reform to

the way in which it compensates these

victims.

A decade of change

During the past 10 years,