Motor Insurance and Legal Expenses Cover

gizz_mo

Hi there
I was hoping for some guidance regarding Legal Expenses cover that is offered with motor insurance.
My motor insurance policy is due for renewal in about 7 days time so I have been using Martin's method of shopping around to get the most competitive quotes on the comparison websites.
Most quotes give me a cost for the insurance on its own, and another amunt with legal expenses cover included. What I am noticing is that the cost of the Legal Expenses cover can vary considerably from company to company, whilst essentially offering the same level of cover.

I was previously adding together the 2 figures to arrive at my total quotation amount, but then it dawned on me.......am i restricted to taking out the Legal cover just with the company offered by the insurance company, or can I essentially take an insurance quote without legal cover and then purchase my legal cover seperately as a standalone cover? The savings could be quite considerable when done this way.

Is anyone aware of any restrictions that apply to this type of Legal Expenses Cover that normally comes with Motor Insurance?

Thanks for your help folks!

adamc260

I'm pretty certain you can only buy LEI (Legal expenses insurance) with a motor policy and it excists to help you claim back any uninsured losses not covered by the policy, hire costs, legal costs involving personal injury claims etc usually betwen 50,000 to 100,000 GBP worth of cover

mrstewieo

adamc260 wrote: »

I'm pretty certain you can only buy LEI (Legal expenses insurance) with a motor policy and it excists to help you claim back any uninsured losses not covered by the policy, hire costs, legal costs involving personal injury claims etc usually betwen 50,000 to 100,000 GBP worth of cover

You're correct adamc260.

Legal expenses cover will only cover you if you are not at fault for the accident.

That means that if you, for example, accidentially crashed into a wall - the legal expenses cover would be useless. It's the same if you are at fault for the incident, the legal expenses cover wouldn't do anything for you.

It is a good bit of extra cover though, it means that if you're not at fault for the incident, then you can claim back even down to loss of earnings from the other insurer.

If it is such a considerable amount between having it and not having it, then I would advise you go away and have a think about it. If you didn't take it out, and had an accident that wasn't your fault - you would still get all your repairs done, excess suspended (hopefully), and in a worst case scenario if you HAD to claim for uninsured losses, you could try and find a solicitor that could help you.

It's really down to personal preference, some policies even come with as standard

gizz_mo

Thanks Guys - I am definitely of the belief that it is useful to have - just wondering if I can buy it seperate to the motor insurance policy. For instance, the rac offer it to members for £15 as a standalone policy. If I bought that it would be a good £20 odd quid cheaper than my cheapest insurance quote wants for it. So I am thinking I can just buy the insurance without the legal expenses cover and then buy the rac legal expenses cover seperately.
Would this cause problems if I do come to claim? I.e is it better to keep with the one offered by the insurance company?
Thanks for your replies guys!