Car insurance is a legal requirement in the UK as it offers financial protection for you and other drivers if you are involved in an accident. There are three main types of car insurance, but third party insurance is the legal minimum required for UK roads. We explain more about the types of car insurance in our article ‘What are the different types of car insurance?’
How much cover you have on your car insurance policy varies depending on the policy you choose, and you can customize your policy to include additional policy extras, including statutory cover, keys cover and breakdown cover. Improving your car insurance policy with extras can affect the cost of your policy, and we explain how much you can expect to pay for your policy in our article, ‘How much does car insurance cost?’
In this article we look at car legal protection, including what it is, what car legal protection covers and how much car insurance legal cover costs.
What is legal car insurance coverage?
Car insurance legal cover, also known as car legal protection, provides cover for legal fees and advice if you need to go to court after a car accident. Depending on the car insurance policy you have, you may need to purchase motor vehicle legal protection as an extra as it may not be included as standard. If you decide to buy statutory car insurance cover, you are likely to be covered for up to £100,000.
In most cases, motor vehicle legal protection will cover the legal costs associated with a claim, but there are cases where you may be denied coverage, particularly if you are found to be driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. You may also be denied a claim if the amount you are seeking is less than the total cost of legal fees. Examples of motor vehicle legal protection include:
- Medical expenses
- Loss of earnings
- Excess and costs associated with the claim
- Claims involving uninsured motorists
- Bodily Injury Claims for Passengers and Designated Drivers
How much does statutory car insurance cover cost?
Depending on the policy you choose, car insurance legal cover may already be included as standard, but if it’s extra, the cost will vary by provider. For example, LV= charges £25.99 per year for £100,000 of legal cover while Saga charges £15.00 per year. Other providers such as The AA and Admiral force you to make a quote for your insurance policy before letting you know how much it will cost to add legal cover.
Do I need statutory car insurance cover?
Motor vehicle legal protection is optional and therefore adding it to your car insurance policy is a matter of personal preference unless it is already included as standard in your policy. However, it is worth considering that legal cover can provide peace of mind in the event that you are in an accident as legal fees can be expensive. In addition, your legal cover usually comes with a legal advice line which can often help with other legal matters such as employment or probate matters.
If you decide to buy legal cover with your car insurance policy, you should consider whether you are already covered by another policy, e.g. by insuring your home, through a package bank account or if you are a member of a trade union as you may already be access to legal advice. Additionally, if you have comprehensive car insurance, check whether motor vehicle legal protection is already included in your cover as standard.
Is legal protection of the engine worth it?
If you’re not sure if legal protection is worth it, below are some of the pros and cons of motor vehicle legal cover.
Avg
- Accident-related legal cover of up to £100,000
- A relatively cheap policy and often under £30 a year
- Access to a 24/7 legal helpline
Against
- You are not covered if you are at fault
- There may be an additional cost
- It may not always be worth it, especially if the claim is less than the cost of legal fees or if the insurer does not think you will win your claim
Alternatives to legal car insurance coverage
If you decide you don’t need or want legal car insurance coverage, there are several alternatives you can consider.
- Free motor legal cover – You can register with FreeMotorLegal.co.uk and get the same protection as with legal car insurance cover, but without the annual fee. You can apply via the website and if you are in an accident that is not your fault, contact Free Motor Legal and you may be able to access free legal aid and a free car.
- No win, no attorney fees – A no-fee attorney can help you with motor vehicle insurance claims and may be a good idea if you want to file a personal injury claim. There is no fee unless you win your case, but then you may have to pay a substantial percentage (can be up to 25%) of the claim.
- Insurance after the event (ATE). – You can buy an ATE policy to cover legal expenses if you didn’t have a statutory cover policy before the accident, however, because of this, ATE is often more expensive than statutory car insurance cover. You can use an ATE policy to make a claim for something that is not covered by your car insurance policy or to dispute a claim against you.
- Trade union – If you are a member of a trade union, you may already have access to legal advice and therefore may not need legal cover.
- Savings – If you don’t take out legal cover, you could end up paying any legal costs you’ve accrued yourself, but they can run into thousands of pounds.
How to apply for legal car insurance coverage
If you have been involved in a car accident, you should contact your insurance company as soon as possible and inform them of the accident. It is important to try to collect as many details as possible during the accident and record the details of the other driver, the number plate of the car and the insurance company. When you notify your insurance company about your claim, you will need your insurance policy number, the date of the accident and your vehicle’s registration number.
If you have motor legal cover included in your policy, either as standard or paid for as an optional extra, you may be offered legal help if the accident was not your fault. Usually the insurer will give you a representative to act on your behalf and help you recover any uninsured losses including any loss of earnings, your policy excess and compensation for any injuries you have suffered in the accident.
How to buy car insurance with legal coverage
An easy way to buy a motor insurance policy that includes statutory cover is through a comparison site such as Quotezone*. Comparison sites allow you to compare multiple motor legal protection policies at once so you can find the best deal for your circumstances. We teamed up with Quotezone* so you can search and compare quotes from over 120 UK car insurers. However, be aware that not all comparison sites are complete marketplaces, meaning you may be able to find a deal elsewhere, especially if the insurer doesn’t appear on a comparison site like Direct Line.
