If you’re in an accident that was not your fault, the cost of getting your car repaired is not the only expense that you’ll face. There are numerous additional costs that you might need to consider, such as the cost of phone calls to deal with claims and the financial impact of any essential time off work. These miscellaneous expenses are the ones that are covered by motor legal protection.
What are the benefits from having motor legal protection?
The recovery of costs including (but not exclusively): -Vehicle repair and recovery -Personal injury -Hire vehicle (often unlimited) -Loss of earnings -Policy excess -Medical bills -Legal expenses
Is motor legal protection a legal requirement?
Drivers are not legally required to have motor legal protection, and in fact, a large number of drivers do not have the cover. However, it can be extremely beneficial to invest in motor legal protection to fully shield oneself from all motor-related eventualities.
Consider the following scenario:
Mrs. Davies stops her car at a set of traffic lights. Another car, going too fast, drives into the back of her. The rear of Mrs. Davies’ car is badly damaged and she is injured. Mr. Barnes, the man driving the other car, is at fault. While his insurance will pay for the damage to Mrs. Davies’ car, there are many other expenses that Mrs. Davies will incur. For example she is forced to pay out for the car-towing fees, a hire car until her car is fixed and a considerable policy excess on her car. Her injuries necessitate a visit to the doctor and because she is self-employed, this causes her to lose half a day’s earnings. Mrs. Davies has not got motor legal protection. Uncertain if she is permitted to claim back these expenses and daunted by the prospect of chasing up her claims, she decides not to claim and is left out-of-pocket.
In the above scenario, if Mrs. Davies had motor legal protection she would have felt reassured in knowing that a legal professional would have chased her claims on her behalf, and that her expenses would have been reimbursed, hassle-free.
Why do some people choose not to buy motor legal protection?
Market research suggests that the main reason people do not buy motor legal protection is because they feel it is too expensive, an unnecessary expense that can be spared. This view is somewhat paradoxical considering the amount of money typically paid out by the non-fault party in an accident. Granted, some motor legal protection polices can be unnecessarily expensive with high-commission pushing up the prices. However, if people are prepared to shop around, there are some extremely competitive high-quality, low-cost packages available on the market.
What if you don’t have motor legal protection?
Everybody is entitled to claim back any uninsured losses; however this tends to require a lot of effort. You would personally have deal with every single aspect of your claim and although achievable, it would necessitate a lot of time, patience and determination. The benefit of having motor legal protection makes the process of getting back to the position you were prior to the accident relatively hassle-free. It will make life easier for you as a driver, providing important peace of mind in knowing that your uninsured losses will be recovered in an accident that was not your fault.
Will your insurer sell you motor legal protection?
They may try! Many insurers offer motor legal protection as an optional extra, often under another name such as uninsured loss recovery or legal expenses insurance. It is important to realise that you are not obligated to take them up on their offer. In fact, you’re likely to find that even if you want motor legal protection cover it is cheaper to buy it elsewhere, since most insurance companies charge a premium to add it to your insurance.
It can be easy to see motor legal protection cover as one more unnecessary expense, but the benefits certainly outweigh the cost. To find out more about Motor Legal Protection Cover, visit: https://www.bestpricefs.co.uk/motor-legal-protection.