Car Insurance legal cover and personal injury

Jo_King

Hello. I've searched for an answer to this question but haven't been able to find a clear answer.

I had a car accident last week - a van accelerated into the back of my car (I was stopped in a line of traffic), which was shunted into a car in front, which was shunted into the car in front of that. It was high impact, the car was badly damaged, police and ambulance were called out by a passer by.

We're fortunate that we were all wearing seatbelts and were able to walk away. But, a paramedic doctor at the scene said I was 'really going to suffer'. I'm badly bruised from the seatbelt, but the worst thing is that my head hit against the headrest (I don't know how - it's correctly positioned - but I seem to somehow have been propelled up and back?). I've a ridge across the back of my head, it's very painful and the whole back of my head is still aching. I've seen the GP who says this will last six or seven days, at which stage we'll see how bad the whiplash is. I'm seeing my own specialist physio tomorrow. I have an underlying joint condition which means this is likely to be particularly problematic. I'm signed off work for a week for starters.

I phoned my insurance company and went through all the details. They asked if I was injured, and when I said yes they put me through to their 'aftercare team'. It turned out to be a 'no-win, no-fee' company who told me they'd take a case for compensation, of which they'd take 25%. I've not decided to go for compensation - it depends how long I'm off work and how much physio I need - but I would have thought that, since I have legal cover - I wouldn't need to pay 25%. But then why did my insurance put me through to this company?

What does my legal cover include? And if I decide to claim for compensation, what's the best way to go about it?

Thanks.

Quentin

Whoever you spoke to at your insurer will have followed a script, which clearly didn't include enquiring if you have "legal cover" before trying to put you in the hands of their tame ambulance chaser.


Read up the details of what your "legal cover" actually does cover in your policy docs and if it includes cover for pursuing a claim for injury compensation without charge then use the legal help claim department to get them to act for you.