Legal Cover with car insurance ?

[Scooby_Doo]

What's the general opinion regarding taking out legal cover with car insurance ?

 

[flowrider]

Dont do it. You can get free cover with www.freemotorlegal.co.uk or buy it from RAC for £15 covering 5 people.

 

[Oldbarrack]

Depends entirely on the insurance company you insure with and calibre of their chosen legal representation.

Mine has successfully won two crazy claims against me (one a cloned vehicles with my reg no) ,
once they had the full facts, an image and some copy docs, they did all the work for me - until the cases/claims were closed (rejected).

I'm not sure of cost offhand, about £20 I believe.

 

[Chrishazle]

Had it with every insurance policy for decades, only needed it once - and boy was I glad I had it, as it saved me loads of hassle over the 12 month period it all took (woman counter claiming that wife drove into her rather then her reversing into wife) and we ended up with a cheque for 3 times what I'd paid to buy the replacement indicator and drivers light (collected and fitted by me).

A bit like most insurance - how many times have you had to claim on home, contents or vehicle insurance, and how glad are you that you had insurance when the time to claim arrived!

 

[flowrider]

Depends entirely on the insurance company you insure with and calibre of their chosen legal representation.

Mine has successfully won two crazy claims against me (one a cloned vehicles with my reg no) ,
once they had the full facts, an image and some copy docs, they did all the work for me - until the cases/claims were closed (rejected).

I'm not sure of cost offhand, about £20 I believe.

Cost is closer to £30 than £20 IME. I have motor legal cover with RAC for £15 covering 5 people instead of paying £150 when going through our respective insurance companies.

 

[John]

I always buy it - particularly as it is the cost of 6 pints of lager (daan saaf anyway) which I don't regularly drink (would take me 2/3 months to get there)!

I'd rather have it and not use it than the other way around and I've definitely used it in the past.

 

[Scooby_Doo]

Thanks for the heads up on the RAC , for both cars it was £30 each via insurance company , £15 for both with RAC.

 

[johnsco]

I don't buy legal cover.
There's always loads of legal firms will take business on a no-win no-fee basis if you need legal assistance.

 

[markjay]

I always buy legal cover, but never needed to use it... so can't really say if it's worth it.

 

[clk320x]

I always buy legal cover, but never needed to use it... so can't really say if it's worth it.

+1

 

[m80]

I don't buy legal cover.
There's always loads of legal firms will take business on a no-win no-fee basis if you need legal assistance.

Same as,
my daughter worked in insurance and said this was just another insurance inflator.

If I need a solicitor I find one.

 

[Peter103]

Dont do it. You can get free cover with www.freemotorlegal.co.uk or buy it from RAC for £15 covering 5 people.

Don't normally buy legal cover with insurer as an 'add on', the add ons, can go on, and ON!!!
So, just read through the "freemotorlegal" Sales Pitch, and decided to give it a go.
Hope i never need their services but like the man said, it's free, apparently.

 

[GeeJayW]

We always take out legal cover.

Came in very handy once when my wife and eldest daughter (who was only six-weeks old at the time) were hit head-on by a borrowed/stolen motorcycle (without MoT), being ridden at stupid speed by an irresponsible, uninsured, unqualified rider who was I think high-sided into the verge and sadly survived.

The bike went down the driver's side of the engine block pushing the car backwards into hedgerow, hit the bulkhead and brake master cylinder and then bounced over the roof. Brake fluid on the exhaust manifold set fire to the the car, which was soon completely destroyed.

Fortunately, in spite of her injuries (broken foot, broken wrist, significant head injury), my wife did not lose consciousness and was able to get out of the car via the passenger door and get our daughter (who amazingly was unscathed) out from the rear footwell (didn't have much by way of child safety systems back then). The driver's side of the car was about a metre shorter than the nearside, so the door wouldn't open.

It took years to process this out through the courts, though we never received anything from the rider (on whom I would refrain from urinating even if on fire) as he was unemployed and had no assets. Without legal cover this would have cost us money we didn't have.

 

[Dippo]

Probably a very naive view, but I've always believed that if you take out legal cover with your insurer, then they will try to recover your excess from the other driver in the event of a no-fault accident.

 

[GeeJayW]

Probably a very naive view, but I've always believed that if you take out legal cover with your insurer, then they will try to recover your excess from the other driver in the event of a no-fault accident.

I believe that is indeed the case. It's another extra/add-on that is entirely useless until you need it. I have no qualms about paying a few extra quid for this option, others clearly have a different view. Hey ho..

 

[Deletedmember130310]

The bit I don't get is why I have to pay the insurance company to protect their interests - one would expect, naively I know, they would fight to resist paying out unnecessarily.

Like all insurance you won't know if it is worth it until you need it..

 

[Peter103]

The bit I don't get is why I have to pay the insurance company to protect their interests - one would expect, naively I know, they would fight to resist paying out unnecessarily.

Like all insurance you won't know if it is worth it until you need it..

And then, should you be unfortunate enough to have to claim, they will invariably worm in, many obstacles to obstruct you from proceeding, with the oft used phrase, "Should have read the Small Print".

 

[GeeJayW]

The bit I don't get is why I have to pay the insurance company to protect their interests - one would expect, naively I know, they would fight to resist paying out unnecessarily.

Like all insurance you won't know if it is worth it until you need it..

I thought that the legal protection add-on was to further protect my interests. That's how it worked out last time. For sure insurance companies are always doing what they can to protect their interests like any other business.

Insurance premiums and add-ons no doubt make insurance companies rich, much the same way that gambling stakes make casinos and bookies rich. It's exactly the same model. There are risks to which motorists are exposed that incur substantial costs should events go a particular way. Insurers cover the risks and associated costs in-line with a contract/policy and pursuant to fees being paid. The fees charged are scaled against the risks and the probabilities that come with them. Reputable insurers pay up when valid claims are made, others may delay or avoid paying if they can get away with it. The latter may apply to all/most insurers. I've had experiences of each scenario.

As for the premium itself, there are many offerings out there. You pays your money and makes your choice.

Bottom line for me is this; if I've paid the premium(s), for any claim that I make that is covered by the policy that was agreed, I expect them to pay out.

 

[John]

I believe that is indeed the case. It's another extra/add-on that is entirely useless until you need it. I have no qualms about paying a few extra quid for this option, others clearly have a different view. Hey ho..

It is indeed the case. Your insurance excess is an uninsured loss in the event you make a claim and it is not your fault.

 

[markjay]

It's optional anyway... to each his own. There's no right or wrong here.

Same goes for roadside assistance and courtesy car etc etc.