Free legal expences cover

losgiganteskid

Anyone who has bought legal expences cover as an add on to their motor policy can get stand alone cover for free at


www.freemotorlegal.co.uk


Seems you may be able to save yourself a few quid !!

Quentin

They are associated with a claims management company


Using this "free" insurance just ensures you are a captive client for the "free" operator to sell on to his associated claim handling firm!


If you use them, you must use all of their applicable services you need as a result of your accident eg hire car, bodyshop, injury claims service etc

If you go through them you have no access to the Insurance Ombudsman if you're not happy with their settlement offer etc.

Free_Motor_Legal

Hello, we would just like to clarify and correct a few points made by the following poster.

Quentin wrote: »

They are associated with a claims management company

We are a claims management company and we are fully licensed and regulated by the Ministry of Justice.

Quentin wrote: »

Using this "free" insurance just ensures you are a captive client for the "free" operator to sell on to his associated claim handling firm!

This is the same as what happens when you have purchased a policy of legal expenses cover from your insurance company.

Quentin wrote: »

If you use them, you must use all of their applicable services you need as a result of your accident eg hire car, bodyshop, injury claims service etc

The bodyshop issue may soon be changed to give freedom of choice. The lawyers are fixed as that is how we can ensure no deductions are taken from the compensation. If the person was to appoint their own lawyer we have no control over the success fee they may deduct from damages. Using our suppliers enables us to control the quality of service provided to the member. If they don't perform as they should, they don't remain a supplier.

Quentin wrote: »

If you go through them you have no access to the Insurance Ombudsman if you're not happy with their settlement offer etc.

All claims management companies are regulated by the Legal Ombudsman for their activities. So equal protection applies.

rs65

Free_Motor_Legal wrote: »

Hello, we would just like to clarify and correct a few points made by the following poster.

While you are here, can you clarify something.

From your wesbsite Free Motor Legal is a free to join membership organisation that perform all the same functions as a paid for policy, but without the need to actually take out a legal expenses insurance policy.

You then compare your cost to the likes of Aviva.

Aviva's paid for policy covers
1. Legal protection to claim costs or compensation after a motor accident or incident
2. Legal protection to defend motoring offences
3. Motor legal advice helpline

Does your free service perform these functions?

dacouch

Will you just pursue a customers policy excess if they decide to claim for their damage through their own Insurance if this is the only thing the customer wishes to claim through you?

dacouch

Their terms and conditions...

"There must be reasonable prospects of success with your claim at all times (assessed by our appointed solicitors as a 51% or better chance of recovering damages from the other party)"

But when they discuss an Insurers paid for policy they state this...

"The actual legal expenses policy you bought doesn’t even get used as the claims that
are destined to succeed will result in the costs being paid by the insurer of the third
party driver. On the claims that show you could be 50% to blame or more, they will
refuse to cover your legal costs and the solicitor will refuse to go any further with your
claim. That £25 you spent on legal cover wasn’t the best money spent now, was it?"

Which is not strictly true as a paid for policy would be looking for the same chances of success of recovering money eg 51% or more but would act on a claim where you were 50% liable eg in a 50/50 claim.

dacouch

What proposals do you have in place in case your Limited company goes bankrupt during the year?

Free_Motor_Legal

rs65 wrote: »

Aviva's paid for policy covers
1. Legal protection to claim costs or compensation after a motor accident or incident
2. Legal protection to defend motoring offences
3. Motor legal advice helpline

Does your free service perform these functions?

1- Yes
2- No
3- Yes

rs65

Free_Motor_Legal wrote: »

1- Yes
2- No
3- Yes

So this statement from your website is untrue ?

Free Motor Legal is a free to join membership organisation that perform all the same functions as a paid for policy, but without the need to actually take out a legal expenses insurance policy.

rs65

Also, from your website - Free Motor Legal is not an insurance policy, it is a subscription service. As such Free Motor Legal endeavours to provide all services described, however the services are offered at our discretion and cannot be guaranteed

So you can choose not to provide the service meaning that someone could cancel their paid-for service in favour of your service (and encouraged by you) and then be left high and dry?

Free_Motor_Legal

dacouch wrote: »

Will you just pursue a customers policy excess if they decide to claim for their damage through their own Insurance if this is the only thing the customer wishes to claim through you?

Yes we will.

dacouch wrote: »

Their terms and conditions...

"There must be reasonable prospects of success with your claim at all times (assessed by our appointed solicitors as a 51% or better chance of recovering damages from the other party)"

But when they discuss an Insurers paid for policy they state this...

"The actual legal expenses policy you bought doesn’t even get used as the claims that
are destined to succeed will result in the costs being paid by the insurer of the third
party driver. On the claims that show you could be 50% to blame or more, they will
refuse to cover your legal costs and the solicitor will refuse to go any further with your
claim. That £25 you spent on legal cover wasn’t the best money spent now, was it?"

Which is not strictly true as a paid for policy would be looking for the same chances of success of recovering money eg 51% or more but would act on a claim where you were 50% liable eg in a 50/50 claim.

You may be confusing our terminology of "51% or better chance of recovering damages from the other party" as an indication we can only assist people who are 50% or less responsible for an incident?

We assist people who can be 80% responsible for an incident, they still have a "51% or better change of recovering damages", as actual damages would be recovered. The damages would just be low as there would be 80% contributory negligence on their part, so the damages would be reduced by the appropriate amount.