# Insurance - Legal Expenses Cover



## Hezbez

Insurance companies always try to include Legal Expenses cover when you are renewing your policy. 

Average cost is around £25 onto the policy - so if you've got a couple of vehicles plus your motorhome in your household it can add up to a tidy sum each year.

So, who thinks it's a good/essential add-on to have and who thinks it's a waste of money.

And are there any alternative/cheaper ways of getting this cover?

Please vote!


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## SpeedyDux

I don't think it's a waste of money. I used mine in 2003 to cover a claim for personal injury after a dozy driver failed to brake and rammed my car from behind, while I was stopped at traffic lights on red. (Yes, I know, it was only whiplash, but in my case it was painful for weeks afterwards and I had to have a course of physiotherapy to regain full neck movement.)

Why should you pay for add-on legal expenses insurance anyway? This is the reason:

The UK Government is proposing to change the rules concerning recovery of legal costs for personal injury claims. It will soon be a big advantage to have legal expenses cover.

At the moment, if you haven't already got legal expenses cover, if you need to make a claim for personal injury, as well as getting a solicitor to act for you on a Conditional Fee Agreement (sometimes loosely called a no-win, no-fee agreement) you will also need to take out a one-off ATE (After-The-Event) legal expenses insurance policy in case you might lose. The solicitor arranges this. This ATE type of policy costs a lot more than before-the-event insurance. Under the current Rules on costs if you win or get a favourable settlement of your claim, the other party also has to pay the ATE premium, so it effectively costs you nothing.

In future under the proposed new legislation the other side will not have to pay your ATE premium if you are successful. You will have to bear that cost yourself in any event. [Also, any success fee payable to your solicitors will be deducted from your damages as well.] This proposal is still being debated in Parliament so the details may be subject to change. But the Government's intention to reduce the so-called "compensation culture" is clear.

What you ought to check is whether you already have legal expenses cover under a different policy, such as your home insurance policy, and whether that cover would also apply to a personal injury claim caused by (say) a road traffic accident or work accident. Some home insurance legal expenses cover can be too restrictive to help you in a motoring-related situation.

SD


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## Mrplodd

Like every other insurance its a waste of money UNTIL you need to claim. Then its excellent value.

Having said that think of all those £25 the insurance companies rake in compared to how many times policyholders need to make use of the service. A VERY nice little earner thank you !

Hopefully someone will pop up on here with a much cheaper alternative (in theory surely you would only need ONE policy with that cover?? as using it is not dependant on the claim resulting from the use of a particular vehicle ???)


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## Stanner

I have full (not just motor) legal cover provided elsewhere, so refuse to pay the extra asked for by motor insurers.


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## bigbazza

I never have it after an experience with my son several years ago.
I was working on his behalf and after 7 months backwards and forwards with the insurance companies legal team I took the matter into my own hands and concluded the satisfactory outcome within 2 weeks.


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## mikebeaches

bigbazza said:


> I never have it after an experience with my son several years ago.
> I was working on his behalf and after 7 months backwards and forwards with the insurance companies legal team I took the matter into my own hands and concluded the satisfactory outcome within 2 weeks.


Legal Expenses cover - we've got 3 vehicles and every time an insurance renewal pops up, I dither - 'should I, or shouldn't I go for it?'

I'm a bit cynical about insurers. Nonetheless, sometimes I buy the additional cover, but on other occasions I don't bother and think if I had a problem I'd manage the claim myself and engage a legal expert if needed.

Decision whether to buy often depends how I feel on the day.

Interested to see the views of others so far, and will watch the thread for more observations.


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## rowley

My son and I have legal expenses on joint cover with the RAC. It covers all our vehicles and works out much cheaper.


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## cheshiregordon

I once had legal cover included in a car policy. I remember that when my wife had a bump in the vehicle the other vehicle involved was insured by the same insurance company and also had legal cover.
Although we felt the aggrieved party the legal policy was useless as they wouldn't fight themselves.
Never bothered with legal cover since.


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## UncleNorm

I prefer to fill in holes before I fall into them!! How did I get into this hole? How do I get out of it? So yes, we have legal cover. 

Only once have we had to use the legal insurance. That was in August 2001. Ironically, it was AuntieSandra's birthday! :roll: It was a filthy Saturday, teeming with rain, roads awash. We were travelling slowly -25/30 mph - on a narrow, winding back road in Dorset when we met a local guy in a hurry. The main road was blocked with holiday traffic, but he knew the 'low' road home!! :evil: 

As soon as he saw us, he panicked, hit the brakes, locked his wheels up and proceeded to slide increasingly sideways towards us. As soon as I saw he was out of control, I pulled as tight to the hedgerow as possible, stopped and waited. 8O 

By the time he'd finished, he'd taken 11 feet out of the side of our motorhome and caused £3,000 worth of damage. :evil: He told me I was going too fast!! He told his insurance company that I swerved!! :evil: :evil: 

The whole matter was handed to DAS the legal company. Initially, they tried knock for knock. But I told them I was not to blame. It was just the incompetent idiot who wrote-off his car by trying to be clever.  

We spent the next 5 months working through a process. Eventually, I agreed that I was happy to go to County Court.  The photos that Sandra had taken clearly showed that the idiot had had space to pass if he had not skidded uncontrollably for over 75 yards. (measured!) Suddenly, in a phone call, I was told that the idiot had sent in a cheque for £100 to cover my excess. Once that was done, my insurance company was able to label the incident as a no-blame accident and my NCB remained intact. It was nice of the insurance company to send another £100 to cover my time, inconvenience, paper...

Having the legal cover saved us from a lot of heartache. It also avoided increased premiums for however many years because of the diminished no-claims that might have resulted otherwise.  

Yes, we have legal cover. 8)


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## Hezbez

Some interesting posts here, thanks folks.


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## DJP

You only need one policy for Legal Cover. If you have multiple insurances e.g. 3 vehicles plus house, then only go with the one with the best cover, like you would with your vehicle cover.
The legal cover is not restricted to motor insurance claims or house insurance claims. A friend of mine was injured at work and claimed on his legal insurance policy, they took his case on and sued his employer with no costs or the usual additional insurances required bt the "Had an accident? Then call us now" sharks. The claim was a 6 figure payout to him, the legal insurance cover works well.
Another friend, now don't tell everyone about this had a certain problem with a certain make of motorhome doing certain things when he reversed uphill. He tried all the usual avenues until he was advised by a certain motoring organisation to speak with his insurance company who held his legal cover policy. He spoke the them and they took his details and asked for copy documentation to support his claim. The firm of solicitors who contacted him was a well known Bristol based company who had been appointed by his insurance company. Within 2 weeks of sending the documents he had a call from the solicitors saying this certain manufacturer had offered and amount of money to settle out of court. He accepted the offer, case closed.
Legal cover at £25'ish is a good investment, just in case, but you only need the one cover.


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## DTPCHEMICALS

Only needed legal cover in the last god knows how many years.
First was the incident in which our son was killed.
Solicitors advised us to accept £250 compensation for his death.
After an agonising 4 years we settled at £1250.

Second incident, Lady p`s incident three years ago when a lady reversed into our car.
Solicitors were worse than useless. I threatened to take court proceedings and drop them.
Within 14 days insurers paid out in full.

Daughter is a commercial insurance broker and insists that I take it out.

Her theory is that if I am killed in an accident I cannot stand up in court like I would normally do .

Dave p


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## teamsaga

I have legal cover. After a recent no fault accident I made a personal injury claim. The appointed solicitor paid my insurer £800 for the referral. So my insurance company get a bonus for every no fault accident that their clients have.
Most solicitors would have taken it on directly from me wihout paying a fee . Is it worth paying for legal cover?


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## Wizzo

I never bother. Legal cover can be had for FREE. They make their money from the commission paid by the solicitors etc.

JohnW


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## trek

I get Free Legal Expenses cover via my CSMA membership (Civil Service Motoring Association)

saving me the expense of having this added onto any motoring insurance policy

CSMA membership Eligibility


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