Legal expense cover

[Falken]

Does anyone know about the legal expense cover that is sold with nearly every insurance policy?

Do you need one with each policy, or will one do for all?
I've already got cover on the car insurance, and the house insurance.

Just had my insurance renewal, and they want another £20 for legal cover, plus a £9 renewal fee on top of the insurance.
OK so the insurance is only £115 but, another £29 on top makes it £29 dearer.

Suppose with living 7 miles from Yorkshire, some of their frugallity (tightness) must have rubbed off.

[HowardQ]

You'll expect this from a Yorkshireman!

It's extra money for nothing in my view, a complete waste of time and money.
I used to pay it on my car insurance many years ago. Back around 18 years or so ago a bloke pulled straight off a garage forecourt onto a dual carriageway staight in fron of my car without looking and I 'T Boned' him.
Could not have been a clearer case of his fault, but the case went on for about 6 months and then I got a letter telling me I had lost my NCB as it was knock for knock. I argued it was complete bollox as it was obviously his fault and anyway wasn't this covered by my extra legat cover and why weren't they fighting it on my behalf.
Went on for almost another 6 months and they came back and said if anything it was more my fault than his and produced a load of ridiculous reasons from his insurance company. Took the case up myself, wrote back to the insurance company and took the other sides case appart, it was not difficult, and got an agreement that he was 100% liable within a few weeks and my NCB restored. My insurance company even thanked me forfighting the case and saving them having to pay out!!
Never used legal cover since!

If you are prepared to fight your own case with any insurance you can probably do at least as good a job yourself, you just have to be careful how you do it, no abuse or threats, just very clear assertive statements/arguments and support from any witnesses you can get.

[FlyingKiwi]

I am currently using my legal cover as part of my "knock" back in November.
My insurance company will pay out for the bike (eventually ) but I am using the services of the lawyers, at £195.00 an hour, to pursue the other party for uninsured losses. Things like lost wages, overtime, damage to my riding gear, damage to me, extra costs like driving to the doctors or hospital, phone calls, mail, etc, etc. Then there's the arguing over proportion of blame to determine how much of my claim I actually get.
I wouldn't like to be doing all this by myself. But whether your household legal would cover you or not I don't know sorry.

[bigun]

I don't buy it either but then my sis is a barrister so I get all the free legal cover I need. I'll let her babysit in return.

[TC]

I think I have posted a comment abou this before, but the short answer is that legal expenses insurance is the biggest waste of space going.

Firstly, I would point you inthe direction of this thread regarding no win no fee

https://www.ridersite.com/viewtopic.php?t=1603

And then ask you to consider this.

Legal expenses insurance although appearing to be free is often swallowed up in the overall cost of the policy. Because the soliciotrs are appointed by the insurers who often workfor reduced fees in order to get the work, they are often of inferior quality and you the policy hoder have no say over who is appointed, and it may be someone at the other end of the country.

However, everyone is entiltled to have access to free legal representation and this where the Conditional Fee Agreement (no win no fee) scores over Legal Expenses Insurance.

Under a CFA, you choose who you want to represent you and once you have selected yur lawyer, your case is risk assessed. On acceptance, and insurance policy (paid for by yur lawyer) is taken out by the law firm and provides cover in the event that you lose the case and will cover all your costs. In the event that you win, you will get all your compensation and the cost of the insuranceis paid or by the third party. It is a guaranteed way of having lawyers you want at no cost.

Then I would point you to this thread

https://www.ridersite.com/viewtopic.php?t=1543

Legal expenses insurance is a con, and in 99% of cases you can get better representation by going under the CFA than using LEI.

LEI will and does work in some cases, particularly in non motor and non PI cases, but for something like a motorcycle accident or serious injury cases, private law firms every time.

The other point is, that not all LEI solicitors belong to the appropriate professional associations such as APIL, CPIL, The Law Society Personal Injury Panel (It is still called that for the moment) Headway, and I know of one solicitor dealing with a fatal who is actually a property solicitor, and he was appointed by DAS under LEI.

Personally, I never have LEI on my motoring policies because I know how it works, but then I do have inside knowledge.

[graham0071]

Good points to mention TC, I have always declined..Similar to Comet asking you to take out extra insurance on a product!!

[Falken]

Thanks everyone, looks like it's saved me £20.

[Kwackerz]

Good points to mention TC, I have always declined..Similar to Comet asking you to take out extra insurance on a product!!

Hmm.. Thats a good point. I always ignore the offer of extended warranty, but never question what the insurer sells me as a policy.. obviously check it does what I need, but the 'add on' legal cover I always just nod and accept it without real consideration past 'it might come in useful'

Will look harder at it.

TBH, I had sat reading the booklet Caz Nash send out for legal cover a few days before this thread started as I was looking for insurance for the 'Ped, but still only glossed over the pages..

[Falken]

The price for the insurance is with Devitt, and is fully comp.
I think this is a very good price, but that is what you get for being long in the tooth, (well, what's left of them).

[D-Rider]

What I want to know is why I should be taking out cover to pay for something the insurance company should be doing as part of their job!

[BikerGran]

Because the soliciotrs are appointed by the insurers who often workfor reduced fees in order to get the work, they are often of inferior quality and you the policy hoder have no say over who is appointed, and it may be someone at the other end of the country.
.

I would agree with the first part of this, when I had an accident in 1998 the solicitors appointed were hopeless. But I wrote to the legal insurance company and said I wanted to appoint my own, and did so.

I got payment for my bike, clothing, all other expenses, time off work, and 'injuries and distress'.

Bought my GT out of the proceeds. I think it's a small amount to pay for that kind of result. TC's the expert, and maybe I was just lucky, but that was my experience anyway.

[Goldie]

This is a very timely thread... I had been going to ask exactly the same question. On the basis of the above I've decided to save myself £26 (Bennetts) and do without the Legal Expenses cover.

Bizarrely, I'm saving a further £35 by switching from a Falco to an R1.

[lazarus]

............... Took the case up myself, wrote back to the insurance company and took the other sides case appart, it was not difficult, and got an agreement that he was 100% liable within a few weeks and my NCB restored. My insurance company even thanked me forfighting the case and saving them having to pay out!!
Never used legal cover since!

If you are prepared to fight your own case with any insurance you can probably do at least as good a job yourself, you just have to be careful how you do it, no abuse or threats, just very clear assertive statements/arguments and support from any witnesses you can get.

My guess is that that is right - you will do a better job looking after yourself until it gets to the point where legal knowledge is required. And you may well get a more sympathetic response from the other insurance company since they know that settling with you will avoid the extortionate fees the lawyers will pad the claim with. Certainly thats how it has worked with me when I've tried it.

This time I'm using a lawyer on legal expenses cover - only 21 months down the line from the accident! Got to say TC warned me against them (he was right) and whilst the original solicitor woman was quite good, when they realised the claim wasnt going to be that big I got passed onto a trainee type chap (legal executive??/) who is a pompous waste of space. I suspect I would do no better with a no win no fees guy for the same reasons - the other party has admitted liability, their insurance co has paid off my insurance company and the uninsured loss isnt likely to be even 10k.