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The answer to the question, ‘what is a legal cover on car insurance?’ is simple. Whenever you buy a vehicle, in this case, a car, it is evident that you also purchase insurance. Insurance is necessary as it will help you with the expenses if your vehicle gets damaged by traffic, collision or anything else.
Legal cover on car insurance is also known as ‘Motor Legal Protection’. This legal cover is an add-on to your regular car insurance. Motor legal protection is crucial as it will cover the legal expenses up to a certain amount that was pre-agreed.
Why do I need legal cover on car insurance?
As mentioned above, it is an add-on to your regular car insurance. But it is an important one, as it covers all the legal expenses your vehicle is involved in up to a certain amount.
If you meet with an accident, you are safe, but your car has been damaged. You worry and do not know what to do as the damage will cost you a lot of money. Suddenly it strikes you, ‘Oh! I have a car insurance add-on!’ Wouldn’t that be relieving? Plus, you could file a case against the motorist who damaged your car or defends yourself with appropriate legal protection.
You can also hire a lawyer, and the charges will be taken care of by the legal cover on your car that you had bought. So now you understand why you require it.
How much do legal expenses cover costs?
Be it any dispute about your car; if it involves any legal procedure, people take a step back as it can get finally problematic. A way to save yourself from this situation is by buying a legal cover on your car insurance.
You will be needed to pay somewhere around the amount of 25 Euros to add legal expenses cover to your policy. There is a limit to the amount we can use from our legal expenses cover, which was pre-agreed. This limit goes up to 50,000 Euros to 100,000 Euros. In some cases, this add-on comes with regular car insurance saving you from paying the extra charges.
What are the pros and cons of buying legal expenses cover with car insurance?
Everything, no matter good or bad, has its pros and cons. So does the legal expenses cover.
Pros
- Anytime you meet with an accident, your car damage repair expenses will be taken care of up to a limited amount. This amount can vary from 50,000 Euros to anywhere up to 100,000 Euros.
- Due to the accident, if you are needed to go through a legal process, it will get easier if you have reasonable legal expenses cover.
- The charges for hiring a lawyer will also be taken care of under the legal expenses cover up to the pre-agreed amount.
Cons
- The defences you claim must be strong enough; if not, your claim might go unsuccessful.
- The legal expenses cover will not be issued if the limit you set is lower than the minimum required amount.
- Your lawyer might drop your case if the case is not moving in your favour.
How do I file a car insurance claim?
A car insurance claim is a type of settlement or compensation you appeal from the insurer when you go through an accident that has caused damage to your vehicle and you.
The main things you need to remember while filing a car insurance claim are;
- The claim depends on the severity of the damage or injury.
- You must have a strong defence.
- Your documents must be appropriate.
- While filing a claim, call your insurer and give them information about the accidents and documents you can provide.
You need to go through a process to file a car insurance claim. This process might vary around the world.
Step 1:
The first thing you need to do when you meet with an accident and want to file a car insurance claim is, call your insurer. And provide them with some vital information such as;
- The extent of damage to the vehicle.
- The injury you got.
- Time and location of the incident.
- The cover of the car involved.
- The information of the driver.
- Insurance type and name of the other driver.
- Basic information such as the name and contact details of people involved in the accident.
Step 2:
You must file a police report as the insurance company will ask for a police report number.
Step 3:
As soon as you inform your insurer about the accident, they will provide an adjuster. The adjuster is someone who will inspect your vehicle and the complete scene. So make sure you provide authentic information and no false information. As this is a police case, this will involve people, so you must not waste anyone’s time with incorrect information.
After this inspection, the adjuster will ask you to take your vehicle to get it repaired.
Step 4:
After the adjuster has inspected your vehicle and the complete accident, they will provide you with a report that will estimate the amount of money to be paid to you as compensation for the damage.
Step 5:
The final step is to receive the payment your insurer provides you. You must sign all the documents to keep a record of your claim.
Conclusion
Now you understand what legal cover on car insurance is, it is a simple add-on to your regular car insurance, but an important one. It helps you financially for the damage caused in the accident, whether you, your vehicle or the legal proceedings. The charges of hiring an attorney will also be taken care of under the legal expenses cover up to the pre-agreed amount, anywhere from 50,000 Euros to 100,000 Euros. Like everything else, legal cover on car insurance also has its pros and cons. The document you submit must be situation appropriate and authentic. We also looked at the steps to file a car insurance claim, which is pretty simple. The main things it involved was the precise information of the incident, insurance type of the drivers, any witness information, adjuster’s report and receiving of the compensation. Vehicle insurance is undoubtedly essential, and you may also look into the add-ons the insurer provides, such as legal expenses cover, as we discussed above.
