Motor Legal Protection
Also known as 'Uninsured Loss Recovery', Motor Legal Protection helps you protect your legal rights while driving, and provides extended cover against your losses in the event of an accident. It is typically an optional, but sometimes mandatory extra on your main car insurance. If an accident was not your fault, the other person's insurance company may not cover all the costs that you incur, leaving you out of pocket. Legal protection insurance will pay the costs involved in trying to recover these 'uninsured losses'. These may include legal and professional fees, and expenses associated with making a claim. For example:
- Medical fees
- Compensation for injury or death
- Loss of earnings, or expenses arising from loss of vehicle use
- Repair costs if you do not have fully comprehensive insurance
- The excess on your policy
- Hire of an alternative vehicle
- Damage to clothes, and personal belongings
A motor legal protection policy comes with several additional benefits. They typically provide legal advisers, who offer free confidential advice: not only in relation to road traffic accidents; for instance, they could provide help if you face prosecution for driving or parking offences. Some policies would even pay the legal costs involved in defending you for a motoring prosecution.
In addition, motor legal protection sometimes provides a replacement vehicle while yours is being repaired or replaced after a road traffic accident. The expenses covered under a Motor Legal Protection policy will be limited; the extent of cover varies between insurers, but is typically around £100,000.
Exclusions
There are certain exclusions which apply to Motor Legal Protection. The following list is a guide only however: you should refer to your own policy document for the exclusions to your own insurance.
You will not typically be covered if:
- you report your claim more than 180 days after the accident
- any costs arise from a claim that is false, fraudulent, a deliberate criminal act or omission
- the costs were incurred before your policy's inception or as a result of any action by you that could be considered to hinder your claim
- you halt legal proceedings or withdraw any instruction from solicitors for any reason, without your insurer's approval
For more details of the benefits of Motor Legal Protection, see Example Claims.
