What is Motor Legal Cover?
Motor Legal Cover is an optional extra that can be added to your Essentials and Comprehensive policy for an additional premium at any time. Our Comprehensive Plus cover includes Motor Legal Cover as standard.
Our Motor Legal Cover will provide up to £100,000 towards legal costs to help you make a claim, where no other insurance policy will cover your losses, as long as there is a better than 50% chance that your claim will succeed. This also includes if you’re prosecuted for a motoring offence while using your car, or you’re in a motor contract dispute.
If you have a road traffic accident involving your car where you're not to blame, you may be able to claim from the person responsible for the accident.
What does Motor Legal Cover give you that car insurance doesn't?
| Motor Legal Cover could help you claim for | Examples of claims | |
| Injury to you or a passenger | If you or your passenger are injured in an accident, Motor Legal Cover could help you claim compensation for those injuries. | |
| Loss of earnings | If you're injured in an accident that isn't your fault and are unable to work, Motor Legal Cover could help you recover loss of earnings. | |
| Medical expenses | If you're injured in an accident and need treatment, Motor Legal Cover could help you recover the medical costs. | |
| Loss of possessions | If your personal possessions are damaged as a result of an accident, Motor Legal Cover could help you claim back the cost of these items, if they're not covered elsewhere. | |
| Damage to your car (Third Party Fire and Theft Only) | If you don’t have comprehensive insurance cover and your car is damaged by no fault of your own, Motor Legal Cover can help you recover repair costs. | |
Motor Legal Cover may also help you with motoring offences or motor contract disputes where you’re not involved in an accident.
Who is covered with Motor Legal Cover?
This cover provides protection for you, drivers named on your insurance and for any passengers, when driving or using the insured vehicle.
How does it work?
If we accept your claim, a solicitor will be appointed to act for you who will handle all aspects of your claim such as:
- Evaluating what you can claim for and the chance that your claim will succeed.
- Locating specialists such as a medical expert or barrister. The specialist charges will be met by this Motor Legal Cover policy.
- Negotiating with the person responsible and where relevant, their insurers.
- Commencing legal proceedings if necessary.
The appointed solicitor is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority which, in addition to the high standards of service you would expect from Direct Line, ensures that you receive a professional legal service.
All in all providing you with peace of mind and a hassle free solution when you need it most.
Please see your policy wording for full terms and conditions.
Motor Legal Cover claims
Reporting your Motor Legal Cover claim
If you’re in an accident, you'll need to tell us of your Motor Legal Cover claim when you report your accident to our motor claims teams. Your details will then be passed to our specialist motor legal claims team who will get your claim moving as quickly as possible.
If your Motor Legal Cover claim relates to you being prosecuted for a motoring offence, or if you have a motor contract dispute, you should contact the legal helpline for confidential legal advice and to start the process of making a claim under your policy.
What happens next?
The motor legal claims team will review the details of your accident and check you have a valid claim under Motor Legal Cover. If you have a valid claim, we’ll cover costs charged by a legal representative, as long as you follow that representatives legal advice.
A legal representative will then be instructed to act on your behalf to pursue recovery of your losses from the responsible party (or to defend you in the case of a motoring offence). We’ll cover all the legal costs of this claim in accordance with the policy terms and conditions.
Finalising your claim
Most cases are resolved through negotiation, but some may go to court. How quickly the claim is settled will depend on the circumstances of the accident or dispute, whether the other side accepts responsibility and the extent of the injuries or losses being claimed for.