Legal cover is often offered with your insurance policy, but what is it?

Legal cover insures you for the legal expenses involved in pursuing any losses that you are otherwise uninsured for through your regular car insurance policy when you have an accident that wasn't your fault. Your legal expenses claim might include your insurance policy excess, damage to possessions in your car, travel expenses whilst you're vehicle is being repaired and compensation for injuries.

This car cover will include the cost of evaluating your insurance claim, negotiating with the other person and their insurers, and taking the claim through the courts if necessary.

When you want to make a car insurance claim, your case is referred to a solicitor or, increasingly regularly, to a 'paralegal', who is basically a poorly-paid junior solicitor. Most car insurance policies will not cover you unless the other party is at least 50% at fault, although for serious injury claims your legal expenses provider may take on the case even if the other party is just 10% at fault (i.e. you are 90% at fault).
 

Is all Legal cover the same?

To put it bluntly, no.

Some insurance companies offer a Claims Assistance package which is often handled by another company who have claims assistance professionals who will handle your claim for you.

This type of service may well cost you a little more than straight legal cover, but it could be worth it in the event of an accident.

Do ask whoever is quoting you exactly what is included in their cover.