Motor Legal Protection, also known as car insurance legal cover, is a type of insurance that is often available as an additional service within a total car insurance package. With this protection, you are potentially covered for any legal claims you make or receive following an accident. If you are after a detailed review of motor legal protection, check out this guide.

Motor legal protection is a type of insurance that covers legal expenses resulting from a road traffic accident that wasn’t your fault. It is often available as an optional service that can be added for an additional fee to your premium , although some insurance providers include it as standard in fully comprehensive insurance policies. Check with your existing insurance provider if you want to know if legal protection is included in your insurance package.

The main advantage of motor legal protection is that you can make a claim for legal expenses in the event that you have to make a claim against a third party, or if a claim is made against you. You can use legal action to recoup any losses that are not included in your car insurance. These losses may include the following:

  • Personal injury: any costs associated with injury to you or any passengers involved in the accident.
  • Vehicle damage: if you only have third party insurance cover, then you can use legal expenses to claim back costs if your car was damaged in the accident.
  • Loss of earnings: if you are unable to work as a result of injuries sustained during the accident.
  • Uninsured drivers: if you are involved in an accident and an uninsured driver was at fault, you can use legal action to make a claim.
  • Excess: this is the amount policyholders have to pay towards the costs incurred in the event of an insurance claim.
  • Personal possessions: any personal possessions damaged as a result of the accident.
  • Out of pocket expenses: including travel costs if you are unable to use your car.

Motor legal protection covers you for the legal expenses only, rather than the compensation related to the claim. When making this type of claim, the money you receive will be related to the cost of legal fees and not a lump sum from the insurance policy provider.

The cost of motor legal protection is typically in the range £10 to £30 per year, when purchased as part of a car insurance package. Some insurers offer legal protection as standard, especially if you have a fully comprehensive insurance policy, so do check before making an additional purchase. Policies do vary, but you will typically be offered up to £100,000 in legal expenses and access to a free legal advice helpline 24/7.

As with most types of cover, motor legal protection has its pros and cons, including:

Pros
It comes at a relatively low cost
Legal fees can increase rapidly, and the potential savings if the worst happens can be thousands of pounds
This cover gives you quick and easy access to free legal advice, usually through a helpline service
Cons
You are not covered if you are involved in an accident that was your fault
Motor legal protection can stop if your solicitor concludes that your claim will fail
Your insurance provider can stop the process if they think your claim will fail
Your insurance provider may refuse to fund your case if the amount you are claiming is less than the legal costs incurred
Even if you have a good chance and both your solicitor and insurance provider agree, there is never any guarantee that you will win your case
If you do win your case, there is never any guarantee that you will recoup all of your losses

While it’s not a legal requirement, it is often worth having legal cover on your car insurance as it’s a relatively low cost service that gives you peace of mind. Motor legal protection is useful if you are involved in a car accident that wasn’t your fault, or if you are accused of a motoring offence. In both situations, the legal fees can escalate rapidly, so this type of protection can result in a big cost saving.

Being involved in a serious accident is stressful enough, but the expenses associated with this type of accident can add up at an alarming rate. If you have legal cover you can at least take action to recoup these expenses, without being burdened with excessive legal expenses.

Also, motor legal cover is not only useful in a traffic accident dispute, but it can also be used to pay for legal services incurred during a dispute when buying, selling or repairing a car.

If it’s not already included, you can add motor legal protection when renewing your existing policy or buying a new one. You can also add motor legal protection after the policy year has started, but this may incur a fee, so check the small print.

It may be worth checking to see if you already have legal cover on another insurance policy, such as your household insurance or through your bank account. As with any other additional extra, it is also worth checking to see if you can get cheaper cover elsewhere.

However, one unseen advantage of purchasing motor legal protection with your car insurance provider is that the insurer may be able to smoothly co-ordinate the administration of both insurance claims in the event of an accident. If you purchase these two products separately, you may have to take responsibility for doing this yourself. This may seem like a minor issue, but it’ll be the last thing you want to do if you are having to deal with the aftermath of a major accident.

If you need to make a claim with motor legal protection, you can follow this step-by-step guide:

  • Try and make your claim sooner rather than later. Your claim could be rejected if too much time has passed since the accident.
  • Make sure you have all the relevant paperwork to hand. This should include the following documentation:
    • Car Insurance
    • Motor legal insurance
    • Car registration
    • Drivers licence
    • All supporting evidence regarding the accident, including police reports, medical reports, driver details, witness statements, photographs and dashboard footage where applicable
    • Make an initial list of any losses that you plan to recoup by taking legal action; this will help the motor legal protection team when they make their initial assessment
  • Contact your insurance provider and let them know you want to make a claim. You will be put through to the claims department where you can start your application. Your application can be done over the phone, online or using a mobile app.
  • Once you have done this you will be passed onto the motor legal protection department which will deal with your claim for legal fees.
  • In both cases, make sure you give a detailed, accurate and clear account of what happened.
  • The motor legal protection team will then make an initial assessment to establish who is at fault, your personal uninsured losses and your prospects of success. At this stage, your insurance provider could reject your claim for the following reasons based on their assessment:
    • Based on the information, they decided that you were at fault
    • They decided that if you went ahead with the case, there was a good chance that you would lose (you need at least a 51% chance of winning)
    • The total amount of personal uninsured losses would be less than the legal fees incurred if legal action was taken
  • If your claim is rejected you can dispute this decision using the insurance provider’s complaints process. You also have the right to take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. This is a free, independent service that investigates complaints about financial companies.
  • If your claim is accepted, you will be assigned a solicitor by your insurance provider.
  • If you or any of the passengers were injured, your insurer will immediately appoint a specialist injury lawyer to establish whether or not you are entitled to compensation.
  • Insurance providers usually prefer to select a solicitor on your behalf, rather than allowing you to select one for yourself.
  • Once your claim is accepted, you will be given a claims number. Make a note of this and use it in any correspondence with the insurance provider regarding your claim.
  • Your solicitor will then start the legal process. They will liaise with the other parties involved, and their insurance provider(s), on your behalf.
  • Most cases are settled without the need to go to court, with both sides reaching an agreement.
  • If your claim is successful, you will receive a sum to cover your uninsured losses and your legal fees will be paid by your insurance provider.
  • How long the process takes will be depend on a number of factors:
    • How quickly you report the accident
    • The severity and complexity of the accident
    • The quality and amount of evidence
    • The number of disputes and challenges
Fiona Vanier Author

With over 20 years of experience in the information services industry, Fiona currently writes for MailOnline Compare as a personal financial expert. Her professional journey includes extensive research and writing in the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector, coupled with a strong interest in personal finance, as evidenced by her contributions to Motley Fool and Money Saving Expert.