26/04/2026
Driving is part of everyday life in Australia. For most of us, it feels routine … until it suddenly isn’t.
Two years ago, I acted for a family of three who were on a holiday road trip when two vehicles began engaging in illegal street racing on the road ahead.
To avoid a head-on collision, the family’s driver was forced to veer off the road. Their vehicle struck a tree, and all three family members sustained injuries of varying severity.
The two racing drivers fled the scene immediately. They left no trace.
The stretch of road where the accident occurred had no surveillance cameras. The family’s vehicle was not fitted with a dashcam. There was no footage, no witness with a clear view, and no way to identify the drivers or determine which insurer, if any, covered their vehicles.
For most people in that position, it would feel as though every avenue had closed.
But NSW law anticipates exactly this situation.
Under the relevant legislation, when an at-fault driver cannot be identified after a motor vehicle accident, or where the at-fault vehicle is unregistered or uninsured, the Nominal Defendant, a government-administered scheme, may step in to respond to the claim.
We lodged the claim on behalf of the family. They received fair compensation, engaged fully with their treatment and rehabilitation, and were ultimately able to move forward with their lives.
That outcome is what I work for.
In nearly twenty years of practice, I have stood alongside thousands of families through some of the most difficult moments of their lives, accidents, injuries, loss, and the long road back.
I have learned that no settlement figure can truly restore what was taken. But having the right legal support, someone who knows the system, understands the options, and genuinely fights for your outcome, means you do not have to face that road alone.
If you or your family have been involved in an accident where the other driver fled, was uninsured, or could not be identified, please reach out. Your rights may be more protected than you realise.