Motor Legal Protection - worth having?

[J9withdogs]

Many insurance companies now give you the additional option of taking out Motor Legal Protection.

 

The charge can vary from £20 - £40 per year, which, if you have more than one vehicle, can amount to a sizeable cost.

 

Some insurers include the MLP as standard. Some policies cover any vehicles owned by the policy holder.

 

Is it worth having? Does anyone have experience of using the service provided?

 

Would 'no-win-no-fee' solicitors do the same job?

[Tony Jones]

I start from the assumption that people I deal with are motivated by money. Therefore, the keener someone is to sell me a service, the more money THEY'RE making out of it, and the worse value it is for ME.

(That's why elecrtrical retailers push their "extended warranties"!)

 

Both my insurers (van and mini) keep adding legal protection as an extra that I have to "opt out" of - ie they include it in their initial renewal paperwork, and the direct debit, unless I tell them to delete it.

To me, that says that they're very keen, therefore it's good for THEM, rather than for ME. So I've always deleted it.

I've not had any event that would have led to a claim under it so far, in all the years I've been driving, so if something crops up now it'd have to be VERY expensive to make me regret all those years of saying no!

 

This does NOT count as financial advice Janine - because if it was and you took it, you'd probably have an expensive legal bill the following week, for which you'd blame me!

 

T x

 

[J9withdogs]

Thanks for that, Tony.

 

I have read that the MLP is sold to the insurance companies for £1 per policy, so it very profitable for them!

 

I've yet to see anything that is covered that couldn't be claimed for elsewhere. I, too, have never needed to use it when it's been provided 'free' by my insurer.

 

There doesn't seem to be many insurance companies selling it as a stand-alone policy to cover all vehicles owned.

[W3526602]

Hi,

 

I would have thought that it is YOU who have the legal protection, not a specific car. Therefore one policy covers all ?????

 

Do you need Legal Cover. I would say you do. Its no fun having to pay your barrister/solicitor when the other party gets his for free.

 

Take a look at your house insurance, it might include Legal Assistance. mine cost me an extra £15 a year, and not just limited to domestic claims. But phone and ask if they include vehicle claims. Also, they only help if there is a good chance of you winning.

 

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[enodreven]

Hi,

 

this is a post i wrote on another thread which may help.

 

It worth checking whether you already have legal protection insurance before purchasing it from your vehicle insurance provider, as quiet often its already included with some of your other purchases or from your bank.

 

If you are a member of the CSMA or GEM its included in your membership and extends cover to the EU.

 

Some household policies provide legal protection insurance free with your normal cover, albeit double check as some do not include motor related cover.

 

Its also worth running a google on this type of insurance as there are a lot of questions on whether its really needed if you have fully comprehensive insurance, and with NO Win No Free solicitors in abundance you may find them queueing up at your door to take on your case free.

 

We rejoined GEM at £17/annum and their cover extends to all of our vehicles rather than the £20/25 charges made by most of the vehicle insurance companies, usually for each vehicle.

 

Hope that helps,

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2006/jun/04/motorinsurance.insurance

 

[Guest JudgeMental]

been involved in a case since 2001, finally settled 2009. legal fees where approx £35000. cost nothing because of £10 legal protection *-)

[lennyhb]

I don't bother with the cars but I have it on the Motorhome, the Motorhome is so cheap to insure anyway (last renewal £247 with legal cover). Also most of the Motorhome mileage is abroad so working on the theory that it may be useful if I have a prang abroad.

 

 

[enodreven]

Its worth checking as not all of them cover outside of the UK, Channel Islands etc.

 

lennyhb - 2010-01-08 11:29 AM

 

I don't bother with the cars but I have it on the Motorhome, the Motorhome is so cheap to insure anyway (last renewal £247 with legal cover). Also most of the Motorhome mileage is abroad so working on the theory that it may be useful if I have a prang abroad.

 

[breakaleg]

Make sure your covered, solicitors charge £400.00 per hour & barristers around £1000.00per hour & Expert Witnesses around £ 1000.00 to £4000.00

Hopefully, you will never need one.

Pete

[enodreven]

Remember most of these Motor Legal Protection insurance policies have get out clauses, one that springs to mind is "reasonable chance of success" or words to that affect, which in my opinion sounds very similar to the same sort of requirement for No Win No Fee legal support.

 

Please read the small print and don't go away with the idea that you are covered for legal fees no matter what happens.

 

Its really worth reading this link:- http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2006/jun/04/motorinsurance.insurance

 

 

 

 

[lennyhb]

braunston - 2010-01-08 11:46 AM

 

Its worth checking as not all of them cover outside of the UK, Channel Islands etc.

 

 

Just had a look at the policy, for injury or death abroad you are covered providing proceedings are started by a UK solicitor anything else the cover is UK only.

 

Well that's £25 saved on the Motorhome insurance won't bother to renew the legal cover.

 

 

[J9withdogs]

Thanks for all the suggestions and help!

 

I've just been looking at GEM for breakdown cover. They restrict size of motorhome recovery to under 7 metres in length and 3000kg weight.

 

My quote for insurance with SAGA is £135 plus £21 MLP.

[enodreven]

Hi,

 

Both GEM and CMSA provide the Motorist Legal Protection (different names but same sort of cover) by just being a member, you don't have to take out the recovery policy with GEM either, we actually have our breakdown insurance with ADAC.

 

GEM Membership costs around £18 not sure of the conditions

 

CSMA Membership costs around £15 if you are eligible

 

Have a look at both these links, the top one tells you about the cover the bottom one is the GEM Membership only link, for GEM its called "Accident Management Service"

 

http://www.motoringassist.com/Members-Area/Accident-Management

 

http://www.motoringassist.com/Members-Area/Membership-only

 

This is the link to the CSMA club web site, you will see its included under the heading "Top Benefits"

 

http://www.csmaclub.co.uk/

 

You can purchase this type of insurance direct yourself for around £10, just Google LEI direct or words to that effect and you should find one or two companies that are prepared to sell it to you direct.

 

Here's one that wants £11.99 there are others, if you feel you need it

 

http://www.lawshielddirect.co.uk/legal-expenses-insurance/motor-legal-expenses-insurance.php

 

Hope that helps, I have nothing to do with any of these companies.

 

 

DOUBLE CHECK SAGA@S MLP as i don't think it covers outside the UK but double check.

 

J9withdogs - 2010-01-08 1:47 PM

 

Thanks for all the suggestions and help!

 

I've just been looking at GEM for breakdown cover. They restrict size of motorhome recovery to under 7 metres in length and 3000kg weight.

 

My quote for insurance with SAGA is £135 plus £21 MLP.

[J9withdogs]

That Lawshield looks good. I assume it covers the person rather than the vehicle,so my car and motorhome would both be covered.

 

In edit: having read the Policy Key Facts, it doesn't seem to provide much!

[lennyhb]

Had a look at the policies of Gem & Legal Shield Direct both include the continent.

 

From Gem policy:-

 

"Territorial Limit

The United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and

countries in the European Union"

 

Legal Shield:-

 

"Geographical Limits

GB, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man,

Channel Islands,

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech

Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,

France, Germany, Greece, Hungary,

Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,

Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands,

Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia,

Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland."

 

Gem's OK if nothing happens to you in Switzerland.

 

 

 

[enodreven]

Hi,

 

All 3 provide it for the person rather than the vehicle, I'm not sure with GEM & CSMA if it covers other members of your immediate family, may be worth a check.

 

While I have taken it out, I'm still not totally convinced i really need it, as i really do find it difficult when I have fully comprehensive insurance plus hire car etc to see when it would apply.

 

But in fairness to both CSMA & GEM they are both motoring type organisations so you really are getting the MLP as a freebie, your membership is for the club,

 

I probably would have joined the CSMA but i haven't nor has any of my family worked for any qualifying companies which is a pity.

 

 

 

J9withdogs - 2010-01-08 5:43 PM

 

That Lawshield looks good. I assume it covers the person rather than the vehicle,so my car and motorhome would both be covered.

 

In edit: having read the Policy Key Facts, it doesn't seem to provide much!

[Keith T]

Oddly enough, I have just had to make a claim for an accident not my fault, and having the work authorised and done, have had to initially pay the 'excess' of £350.

The policy is through Safeguard and I have always included Legal Protection - perhaps without realising what for. Now I know, as it is they who are chasing the repayt of my excess...hopefully successfully!

[rowley]

My Legal Protection is with the RAC and it covers both my vehicles and my son's.

[J9withdogs]

Keith T - 2010-01-08 8:03 PM

 

Oddly enough, I have just had to make a claim for an accident not my fault, and having the work authorised and done, have had to initially pay the 'excess' of £350.

The policy is through Safeguard and I have always included Legal Protection - perhaps without realising what for. Now I know, as it is they who are chasing the repayt of my excess...hopefully successfully!

 

Surely if you have comprehensive insurance, it automatically reclaims the excess from the other party along with the costs of the repairs.

 

The only time this wouldn't happen is if the person who caused the accident had no insurance.

 

The MLP would then kick in - but as previously mentioned, they will only act if there is a chance they will win the case. Presumably they would sue the other party for the costs.

[bob b]

I remember a friend telling me that he was involved in a road accident with another car, ( the other drivers fault).

His insurance company contacted him and said that they were going go down the 'knock for knock' route. My pal informed his company, "that's what I paid the legal protection for and they were to fight it".

The other drivers insurance company paid out without a fight.

[W3526602]

Hi,

 

Somebody hits you, its their fault, you claim against your Fully Comp insurance.

 

You lose your NCD, which could cost you several pounds, and takes a few years to recover. This can mean that you go back to the basic premium, NOT the premium less introductory discount. Even if you have protected NCD, it is still likely to cost you more next year.

 

You pay the first £100 or WHY.

 

I suspect that some claims will actually make a profit for your insurers. But even if they make small loss, it may not be worth their while to chase it through the courts, or even write a letter asking for the money. Why should they look after your money.

 

Barbara's SAAB was "opened up", end to end, by the tail-lift of a curtain sider on the M4. She was doing 50mph at the time. She chased the lorry, and phoned its registration to me at home. I phoned the transport manager of the supermarket that owned the lorry. "No problem!" he said.

 

Police spoke to driver, who said he was unaware that he had hit anything.

NIP, which was withdrawn after several months. Company insured themselves. Barbara's insurers paid up for her car, but subject to the costs detailed above. She asked them to recover their losses from the supermarket.

 

The supermarket did not reply to any letters. Two years later, the case was heard in the County Court. Barbara had all her losses repaid, including the extra premiums she had been paying. A tidy sum.

 

Note, Barbara's insurers did not volunteer to chase up thier losses, she had to ask. One wonders if they would have chased them anyway, but NOT told her when they got them. ???? Probably easier to come to a gentlemans agreement, throw the cash into a bucket, use if for the Xmas bash.

 

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[Brock]

My wife had a knock for knock settlement. Her insurers did not say anything to her but their solicitors suggested they pursued a claim for her excess using her MLP. It only took one letter and she received £250. The other person also submitted a claim and received £150. Looks like the insurers were happy not to remind their clients what was in their cover to save themselves £400.

 

It seems that insurers reduced the cover they provided to keep costs down, eg voluntary excesses were introduced. The people who did this are probably long gone and thought it was good practice. Some bright spark created a new market in legal protection cover, by now pocketing a sizeable corporate bonus for the idea. The insurers didn't like this because it increased their costs but they didn't get the premium. So some whizzkid said, why don't we sell legal protection and cream off the premiums - new income stream and reduced costs (don't remind the client what they bought). Another bonus paid to the whizzkid. Then they made it a compulsory part of your cover, bringing us back to the old days, but with another corporate bonus paid to the brains behind this.

 

Apologies to the insurers if I am wrong, I just can't help being sceptical. I do have MLP because I am too afraid of not having it.

[J9withdogs]

As far as I am aware, you would only lose your no-claims bonus if you were at fault.

 

I am still declaring a bump I had 5 years ago that wasn't my fault ( I wasn't in my car, nor was the guilty party - they hadn't applied their handbrake properly but had the decency to come and find the owner of the car they'd hit)

 

Whether I declare it or not makes no difference to the premium.

 

I didn't use MLP, my insurers just reclaimed all the repair costs and my excess.

[enodreven]

Hi, Here are a few links where you can obtain MPL or something similar:-

 

This link appears to offer you a solution if you have an accident that isn't your fault and you haven't already purchased a MPL, it cost £35 but i assume you only pay that if you need there services, so could be very helpful for any of those who don't purchase it up front, albeit I think if you have a better than 51% win chance in your favour you could get the same thing for nothing with a bit of googling.

 

http://breakdown.insurancechoice.co.uk/pages/247

 

This link offers MPL for £9.99

 

http://www.bestadviceuk.co.uk/

 

This one appears to offer it FREE, I have filled in the details but haven't received an email yet, will let you know if I do.

 

http://www.helpinsureme.co.uk/

 

YOU WILL SEE THE OFFER HIGHLIGHTED "FREE" in yellow, it appears a few times on the same page.

 

I have nothing to do with or have used any of these companies, they have all come from a google search.

 

[W3526602]

Hi J9,

 

Your NCD is exactly that. NO CLAIM discount.

 

NO BLAME doesn't enter into the equation. Or did I see one company advertising something like that?

 

Protected NCD only seems to protect the percentage. The base premium seems to rise after you make a claim.

 

602