Motor Legal Protection (1 Viewer)

WhiteCheyenneMan

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I have car insurance due for renewal next week and I'm wondering whether to include Motor Legal Protection again at an annual cost of about £30. I have needed to use it once in the past, many years ago. But with 2 cars and a motorhome, each with Motor Legal Protection, it totals around £100 a year. Somewhere I read about free legal cover through http://www.freemotorlegal.co.uk and cover for £15 a year here .

Does anyone have experience of these? Has anyone had occasion to use any one of these?
 
May 8, 2016
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Most certainly, legal protection against uninsured loss is a must in my view, although it seems you are being quoted on the high side.

There are a high proportion of uninsured motorists on the road (this article reckons over 1M http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/...river-hotspots-revealed-risk-East-London.html) , you really don't want to go down the road of having to claim costs back from the dreadful MIB (Motor Insurance Bureau), it takes years, loads of work and a legal bill beyond the reach of most . I have had plenty of legal experience with these issues (personal and on behalf of clients) and I very highly recommend their use
 
Jul 18, 2009
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I had one years ago when I was 18, bit rough and thuggish looking. I had a minor bump, ended up in a Magistrates court with the third party, an older respectable looking gentleman in his suit who lied through is back teeth. His word against mine.

I ended up with 9 points on top of my existing 3, Fined and had to pay the third parties day off work. So lost my license. My Legal protection was only £5,000. But I spoke to the legal protection team It went to the top boss who was disgusted with the outcome. They Authorised a Barrister and it went to crown court.

In crown court, the judge ordered I get all my points removed, no fine and the third party was told to pay for his own (now days off). Winner!

BUT!

MY wife had a legal cover with direct line. Got hot by an uninsured driver. They would not even consider chasing the third party. We lost all our no claims. Direct Line were a waste of time.

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WhiteCheyenneMan

WhiteCheyenneMan

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Most certainly, legal protection against uninsured loss is a must in my view, although it seems you are being quoted on the high side.

There are a high proportion of uninsured motorists on the road (this article reckons over 1M http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/...river-hotspots-revealed-risk-East-London.html) , you really don't want to go down the road of having to claim costs back from the dreadful MIB (Motor Insurance Bureau), it takes years, loads of work and a legal bill beyond the reach of most . I have had plenty of legal experience with these issues (personal and on behalf of clients) and I very highly recommend their use

So with your experience, do you think that either 'freemotorlegal' or 'driverguardian' would provide this sort of cover?
 
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WhiteCheyenneMan

WhiteCheyenneMan

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I had one years ago when I was 18, bit rough and thuggish looking. I had a minor bump, ended up in a Magistrates court with the third party, an older respectable looking gentleman in his suit who lied through is back teeth. His word against mine.

I ended up with 9 points on top of my existing 3, Fined and had to pay the third parties day off work. So lost my license. My Legal protection was only £5,000. But I spoke to the legal protection team It went to the top boss who was disgusted with the outcome. They Authorised a Barrister and it went to crown court.

In crown court, the judge ordered I get all my points removed, no fine and the third party was told to pay for his own (now days off). Winner!

BUT!

MY wife had a legal cover with direct line. Got hot by an uninsured driver. They would not even consider chasing the third party. We lost all our no claims. Direct Line were a waste of time.

The one time that we've had cause to use it, the other party settled 24hrs before the court hearing. So it worked, but the stress leading up to this result was hard to bear. It was clear that all the preparation was being done by admin staff and I'm not sure that a 'legal' brain was involved at all.........but it did work!
 
Apr 11, 2015
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With some policies you can add legal cover later, so get it when needed, do AA & RAC include it too?

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EX51SSS

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We have 2 cars and the Moho and I certainly don't have a problem with separate insurance companies and individual legal protection plus always legal cover on home too. Course, the Moho goes abroad (with us in case any clever folk pick up on that) and wouldn't be without it.
 
May 8, 2016
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MY wife had a legal cover with direct line. Got hot by an uninsured driver. They would not even consider chasing the third party. We lost all our no claims. Direct Line were a waste of time.
Some individuals will inevitably pop their heads up and say that Direct Line are the best things since sliced bread. Good for them. If they only knew that Direct Line were considered to be the greatest culprits in claim evasion, or had to fight a case against them (as I have) where they treated innocent fatalities as mere occupational hazards, then people would never touch them with a bargepole.

So with your experience, do you think that either 'freemotorlegal' or 'driverguardian' would provide this sort of cover?
In law, as with most things, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Freemotorlegal is what is unfalteringly referred to as ambulance chasers. As with most insurers, they will only take on a case that has reasonable prospects of success. I suspect they set that bar as high as they can. From a quick look at their Ts & Cs, they make it an express term that they can do as they please with your contact details, so stand by for a flood of unsolicited PPI and other stuff if you sign up with them

Driverguardian seems the better of the two, and cheap to boot. Personally I stick legal insurance onto my vehicle policies (laziness), but I believe that some household insurance policies may include vehicle legal protection. Worth checking Barclays from what I heard (may be out of date information now, though)
 
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Minxy

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When I renewed our car insurance recently we decided not to bother with LP, if you actually read the T&Cs they actually don't do anything extra to what the separate policies do ... there also isn't any guarantee that those built into your insurance policy will take it up ... they all have the 'only if we think we can win' clause in them.

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May 8, 2016
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When I renewed our car insurance recently we decided not to bother with LP, if you actually read the T&Cs they actually don't do anything extra to what the separate policies do ... there also isn't any guarantee that those built into your insurance policy will take it up ... they all have the 'only if we think we can win' clause in them.
That is true of any litigation/case. All lawyers are required by codes of conduct to make an assessment of their clients' prospects and to inform them accordingly. If you have LP insurance, they are not allowed to consider whether the other side has the means to settle any judgment, merely to consider the prospects of any claim being successful and then paying for the matter to be dealt with in court.

In any claim it is possible to recover your own uninsured losses, as you rightly say, but that entails issuing a private summons against the other driver and most likely finding yourself in court against an opponent who very likely not only has no insurance, but no money to settle any judgment. You will still be left with paying your own legal bill, which to the shame of the profession, often runs into £10k plus before you get an outcome

Comprehensive policy indemnifies you for repairs to your car, which your insurer gets back from the guilty side, but will not pay for out-of-pocket expenses such as compensation for personal injury, the excess on your policy, cost of car hire, taxis, public transport, phone calls, lost earnings, damage to your clothes, expert witnesses to prove any case, medical examinations, etc.

When dealing with uninsured losses, the victims have to apply to the MIB (Motor Insurers Bureau - a quango set up by the government and paid for by all insurers to deal with such losses) and almost invariably have to force them into court to pay up. Again, that can be extremely costly. As a person well capable of dealing with all this myself, I pay for LP cover, which must say a lot
 
May 8, 2016
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Join Boundless (by CSMA); as a member for about £25 per year you automatically get motor legal cover for all of your vehicles and the worthwhile benefits of being a member of a very diverse club. It even has a caravan / motorhome section.
https://www.boundless.co.uk/
Excellent idea, but civil service membership limitations

Not everybody is/has been employed by the state

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Derbyshire wanderer

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From previous experience my view is that it is a waste of money.
As said above they will only assist if they believe they have a 51% or better chance of winning.
I have twice used free no win no fee solicitors and had a good result as they also will only take on what they believe to be winnable.
The trick is to use one that has a good reputation for the circumstances and not necessarily the one with the biggest advertising budget.
 

Minxy

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Not now, it is open to anyone, even Funsters :eek::(:Grin::rofl:
Not according to their site ...

Member eligibility will not be changing. Our membership is still open to current and ex-Civil Service employees and their families. To qualify, you must have worked or be working for the Civil Service, a Central Government department or the Public Sector, or be a partner, sibling, child, parent or friend of a current member.
The only option would appear to befriend someone who's a member already ... now who would that be???? :D

I've tried to read stuff on their site but to be honest it's very messy ... where does it say about the free legal protection?
 

Chris

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I always take out legal protection cover on my home insurance policy.

I think it's about £20 as an add on but some companies throw it in for nothing.

You never know when you might need it.

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May 8, 2016
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From previous experience my view is that it is a waste of money.
As said above they will only assist if they believe they have a 51% or better chance of winning.
I have twice used free no win no fee solicitors and had a good result as they also will only take on what they believe to be winnable.
The trick is to use one that has a good reputation for the circumstances and not necessarily the one with the biggest advertising budget.
As explained in my previous post, lawyers are required by their code of conduct to advise all clients of their prospects in any proposed litigation before significant cost is incurred.

The outcome of civil litigation is always determined on the balance of probabilities. What on earth is the point of gambling on any case where the outcome is predicted to be 51% against success, irrespective of the track record of the lawyer chosen? You need a bookmaker and not a lawyer who will tell you what you want to hear.

CFA (Conditional Fee Arrangement or no win no fee) lawyers are usually fairly reasonable, but as I also said previously:
In law, as with most things, there is no such thing as a free lunch.
 
Dec 23, 2014
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Not according to their site ...

Member eligibility will not be changing. Our membership is still open to current and ex-Civil Service employees and their families. To qualify, you must have worked or be working for the Civil Service, a Central Government department or the Public Sector, or be a partner, sibling, child, parent or friend of a current member.
The only option would appear to befriend someone who's a member already ... now who would that be???? :D

I've tried to read stuff on their site but to be honest it's very messy ... where does it say about the free legal protection?
@Minxy Girl Just checked and you are right if you can't find anyone in the family who has a connection or works in public service. Anyone wishing to join can have my membership number to quote if they PM me.
Edit. I agree the site is a mess and the cover is not well publicised but is stated in the membership document and is provided by LV.
 

Minxy

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@Minxy Girl Just checked and you are right if you can't find anyone in the family who has a connection or works in public service. Anyone wishing to join can have my membership number to quote if they PM me.
If you recommend someone and they join you'll also get a £10 reward ... :)

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WSandME

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I'm confused.
If a lawyer is duty bound to only proceed with cases which have a 51% or greater chance of success, then the other side should not contest!?!?!?
Unless the chances add up to > 100% ;)
 
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If you recommend someone and they join you'll also get a £10 reward ... :)
Yes a £10 Amazon voucher and so does the new member but I had no idea about until you mentioned it - honest :D.
I've been a member for years and easily save the annual fee by using their services and offers
 

Langtoftlad

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Re Boundless Membership
I've just emailed them about eligibility - their response took a lengthy 9 minutes :D2. Apparently I am eligible being a retired BA employee, and BA was once publicly owned... so it appears the criteria needs only to be gossamer thin or tenuous.

The motoring legal cover is provided by LV [up to £100k] - any thoughts as to whether they are considered good, bad or indifferent before I splurge £25 to get £24.90's worth of cover :confused:?

@Dorset Diver if you want to "recommend" me for £10 Amazon voucher, pm me for whatever details you need to do so.

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Dec 23, 2014
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Re Boundless Membership
I've just emailed them about eligibility - their response took a lengthy 9 minutes :D2. Apparently I am eligible being a retired BA employee, and BA was once publicly owned... so it appears the criteria needs only to be gossamer thin or tenuous.

The motoring legal cover is provided by LV [up to £100k] - any thoughts as to whether they are considered good, bad or indifferent before I splurge £25 to get £24.90's worth of cover :confused:?

@Dorset Diver if you want to "recommend" me for £10 Amazon voucher, pm me for whatever details you need to do so.
@Langtoftlad happy to recommend you. As far as I know all your need is to include my membership number in you application. Suggest you work through the online application form and PM me for the info it requires. I tried to do a dummy application trial but the tech recognises my details and insists I should just login.
 

Derbyshire wanderer

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As explained in my previous post, lawyers are required by their code of conduct to advise all clients of their prospects in any proposed litigation before significant cost is incurred.

The outcome of civil litigation is always determined on the balance of probabilities. What on earth is the point of gambling on any case where the outcome is predicted to be 51% against success, irrespective of the track record of the lawyer chosen? You need a bookmaker and not a lawyer who will tell you what you want to hear.

CFA (Conditional Fee Arrangement or no win no fee) lawyers are usually fairly reasonable, but as I also said previously:
While I do understand your points made, my experience of using an insurance policy for this was that they have your money first and no obligation to do anything for you. In my case I needed a specialist report to enable a case and they would not pay for it due to the cost. Without the report - no idea of winning or not.
Chicken or egg?
At least using CFA you will be able to choose your legal adviser and still not be at risk of losing money unless you break the agreement.
I will freely admit that my thoughts regarding insurance companies are very negative. As I have said on another post 'An insurance policy only guarantees an argument in the event of a claim'

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May 8, 2016
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While I do understand your points made, my experience of using an insurance policy for this was that they have your money first and no obligation to do anything for you. In my case I needed a specialist report to enable a case and they would not pay for it due to the cost. Without the report - no idea of winning or not.
Chicken or egg?
At least using CFA you will be able to choose your legal adviser and still not be at risk of losing money unless you break the agreement.
I will freely admit that my thoughts regarding insurance companies are very negative. As I have said on another post 'An insurance policy only guarantees an argument in the event of a claim'
Believe me, I totally share your scepticism. My viewpoint merely differs inasmuch that, without the insurance company, there can be no possibility of any claim. Which is the greater gamble?

I have sued many insurance companies over the years on behalf of clients. The dirtiest fighters have already been mentioned, Direct Line, followed by a close second, Halifax insurance

Re Boundless Membership....
The motoring legal cover is provided by LV [up to £100k] - any thoughts as to whether they are considered good, bad or indifferent before I splurge £25 to get £24.90's worth of cover :confused:?

A fine company with an excellent settlement reputation. I will look into that myself
 

jessthedog

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I always take out legal protection cover on my home insurance policy.

I think it's about £20 as an add on but some companies throw it in for nothing.

You never know when you might need it.
Used it for a so called redundancy for the wife.(y)
It was invaluable and wouldn't of bothered if we would have risked our own money on the case.
 

Chris

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While I do understand your points made, my experience of using an insurance policy for this was that they have your money first and no obligation to do anything for you. In my case I needed a specialist report to enable a case and they would not pay for it due to the cost. Without the report - no idea of winning or not.
Chicken or egg?
At least using CFA you will be able to choose your legal adviser and still not be at risk of losing money unless you break the agreement.
I will freely admit that my thoughts regarding insurance companies are very negative. As I have said on another post 'An insurance policy only guarantees an argument in the event of a claim'

But I doubt you will get a lawyer on a no win no fee agreement ( CFA) if it requires an expensive experts report to determine if you have a case or not. The CFA would normally be backed by insurance to cover disbursements and I can't see those insurers being happy about picking up the cost of an expensive experts report in the event the case was dropped.

I say go legal expenses insurance every time and argue like hell with them to fund the report and refer to the ombudsman if they refuse .

It's only £25 or so a year after all.

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