i've had an accident but the other person was not insured. will my insurer pay out?

Yes so long as you have fully comprehensive cover, your insurer will pay out. But you will still have to pay the excess on your policy and you could lose your no claims discount unless you have paid to protect it. Other costs, like legal and medical bills, may not be covered.

If you just have third party cover, the costs of an accident with an uninsured driver are not covered at all.

Where drivers are left with unpaid costs as a result of an accident with an uninsured driver, compensation can be claimed from the Motor Insurer's Bureau. The Bureau has a fund paid for directly by the insurers, who pay a levy into it each year. But in the end it's us the policyholders, who end up paying through higher premiums. Claims to the MIB can be made by individuals or through your solicitor.

You can apply to the MIB fund in writing or online. But, before you claim, the MIB expects claimants to have attempted to establish if the other driver was insured by you contacting them through the details given at the scene of the accident, or tracing them through the DVLA. You must also have reported the incident to the Police.

Best of luck.