Accidents happen; it’s a part of life. We know that when you’re in an accident on the road, it’s not always your fault. This is where motor legal protection comes in, helping you cope with the costs of making a claim against the other driver.
In this article:
- What is motor legal protection?
- Do I need to have motor legal protection?
- What do I get with motor legal protection?
- What will I get with AXA's legal cover?
- Why might my claim be rejected?
What is motor legal protection?
Motor legal protection is an optional extra that you can add to your car insurance. It helps cover the legal costs needed to recover uninsured losses after an accident that isn’t your fault. Uninsured losses are ones which aren’t covered under a car (or any other) insurance policy, such as policy excesses or personal belongings.
Do I need to have motor legal protection?
It's not a rule that you must have it. But it can be a useful optional extra to have on your car insurance policy. Every driver's different and so is each policy. So the choice is yours.
If you ever need to take another driver to court afterf an accident, it can be costly and time-consuming. While we can’t help speed up the process, we can help with the cost.
What do I get with motor legal protection?
Legal expenses cover helps you cover the cost of recovering your uninsured losses. This includes:
- Your policy excess
- Damage to belongings in your car, if it's more than the personal belongings limit on your policy - £1,500 for AXA Plus Car Insurance policies and £150 for AXA Car Insurance policies.
- Medical expenses from the treatment of personal injuries, like private treatment, hospital bills or physiotherapy.
- Out-of-pocket costs, like hiring a car if yours can't be driven.
- Lost earnings if injuries from the accident stop you working.
Without motor legal protection, we’ll still cover damage to your car under your standard policy. But, the extra costs listed above would be your responsibility.
What will I get with AXA’s legal cover?
With AXA’s legal cover, we’ll help recover your excess, and pay up to £100,000 in legal fees for our approved solicitors. They'll help you get back uninsured losses caused by the other driver.
The cover also offers motoring prosecution defence. That means it covers the costs if you need to defend yourself against motoring offences while driving.
Why might my claim be rejected?
Your claim will only be valid if the accident wasn’t your fault. If you are found to be at fault, your claim might be rejected.
Here's some common reasons your claim could be rejected:
- If there's less than a 51% chance you'll win the case.
- If your claim costs more than what you can recover from the other driver.
- If you’re involved in offences like alcohol or drug use, parking violations, driving without insurance, a valid license or vehicle documents.
- If you or the driver can get legal aid, or if funding is available from somewhere else.
With our optional legal cover, we can help you recover costs after an accident when you weren’t at fault, letting you focus on getting back on your feet.
