What is motor legal protection cover?

Motor legal protection cover helps you get back any losses you incur following a no-fault accident and that aren’t already covered by your car insurance. It’s an optional extra that you can add to your car insurance. You might also see it called legal expenses cover.

With this kind of cover in place, you may be able to claim for:

• Medical costs: If you or one of your passengers were injured
• Loss of earnings: If you couldn’t work due to your injuries sustained in the accident
• Legal defence fees: This would be if a claim was made against you after a no-fault accident and it goes to court
• Personal possessions: You may be able to claim for damage to your smartphone, for example
• Travel costs: You may be able to claim for travel costs if you’re not able to use your car after an accident. This could cover hire car costs too
• Excess: You might even be able to claim back for the excess you paid out when making a car insurance claim following a no-fault accident

What does motor legal protection cover?

With motor legal protection in place, you have help paying for the costs of legal advice and solicitors’ fees following a car insurance claim for an accident that wasn’t your fault, and where this isn’t already covered by your existing car insurance.

Say for example, you’re in an accident with an uninsured driver and your claim goes to court, this kind of insurance would cover your legal fees. The same goes if someone brings a claim against you following an accident that neither of you was at fault for. Motor legal protection cover may cover you for legal advice, court fees and solicitors’ fees up to the amount stated on your policy.

You may even have legal cover in other disputes related to your car, such as defending yourself if you’ve been accused of a driving offence.

Advantages and disadvantages of motor legal protection cover

If you’re considering taking out motor legal protection cover, there are both advantages and disadvantages to think about.

Advantages

• You may be able to claim back for costs that left you out of pocket following an accident that wasn’t your fault
• You could save on expensive legal fees
• You may be covered for both defending and pursuing a car insurance claim
• Often, you’ll have 24/7 access to a helpline providing legal advice

Disadvantages

• This extra cost will likely increase the price of your car insurance
• You can’t claim for expenses if you were at fault for the accident

Do I need motor legal protection?

It is not a legal requirement for you to have motor legal protection cover. However, if you are considering this type of cover, check that you don’t already have this in place already. It may be included in your car insurance policy.

If you’re a named driver on another person’s insurance policy, they may have it already. And sometimes you may even have it through your bank.

How much does it cost?

The cost of motor legal protection varies depending on the insurance provider and the level of cover you choose. Some comprehensive car insurance polices include motor legal protection as standard.

Is motor legal protection worth it?

You might consider adding motor legal protection to your car insurance if you feel it would be beneficial to have help paying expensive legal fees should you claim for a car accident that wasn’t your fault.   

However, you’ll also need to remember that:

• Your claim isn’t guaranteed to be taken on by a legal team. This is especially the case if it isn’t clear who was at fault for the accident
• You’re not covered if the accident was your fault
• If too much time has passed since the incident, your claim could be rejected
• You may not be allowed to choose your solicitor, as the insurance provider will select them from their own panel of solicitors

Is motor legal protection the same as liability insurance?

No, the two are different things.

Motor legal protection is in place to cover the legal costs associated with bringing a car insurance claim. It also includes defending yourself against claims following a no-fault accident. It isn’t a legal requirement to have this in place.

Legal liability insurance on the other hand covers your compensation costs if you injure or cause the death of another person or damage someone’s property. It’s required by law to be able to drive in the UK.

Alternatives to motor legal protection cover

If you don’t have motor legal protection cover in place or don’t want to pay for it, there are some alternatives:

Solicitors

If you want help bringing a claim or defending one, solicitors are on hand and will often offer no win, no fee arrangements. This means you will only pay for your legal representation if your claim is successful. Before going ahead with this, make sure you fully understand the legal fee structure and how much you’ll pay if you win.

Legal aid

You may be able to get discounted or free legal advice to help with your claim.

After The Event insurance (ATE)

If someone makes a claim against you that you don’t agree with, you can buy after the event insurance. Whilst you won’t be paying for insurance you don’t need prior to the claim, it is more expensive if you take it out after the claim.