About motor legal assistance
Motor legal assistance can help if you need to cover costs yourself after a road accident that wasn't your fault. With AA car insurance, this extra cover gives drivers clear legal support, practical help and reassurance when they need to recover uninsured losses or deal with certain motoring disputes.
What is motor legal assistance?
Motor legal assistance – also called motor legal protection or legal cover car insurance – is either an integrated feature or an optional add-on with your motor policy that helps with legal costs after certain motoring problems.
Liability for an accident means who is legally responsible. If another driver or third party is liable, legal assistance may help you pursue uninsured losses from them or their insurer.
This is different from standard car insurance, which focuses on damage to your car or to a third party's vehicle, and other insured events. Motor legal assistance is about legal help and recovering unexpected financial losses arising from an incident.
What does motor legal assistance cover?
The motor legal assistance option available with AA car insurance can provide up to £100,000 for legal costs to reclaim uninsured losses after a non-fault accident. However, your case must have a likely 51% and above chance of success.
It also comes with a 24/7 legal advice helpline, which can be useful if you need guidance quickly.
Uninsured losses can include your policy excess, loss of earnings, alternative transport costs, or compensation for injuries after a non-fault accident.
The AA cover goes further. It includes up to £10,000 of defence representation costs for certain motoring offences that attract penalty points. Plus up to £10,000 in legal representation for motor contract disputes such as when buying or selling a car, or disputes over goods or services for your car.
In some non-fault accidents, cover can work alongside wider policy benefits such as the uninsured driver promise, which protects your no claims discount and excess where an uninsured driver is identified.
What isn't covered by motor legal assistance?
A common misconception is that motor legal assistance pays for every legal problem linked to driving. It's not a substitute for your main car insurance policy, and it doesn't cover uninsured losses where there is a low chance of winning the case. It also doesn't mean every accident turns into a legal claim.
This type of cover is generally helpful when another driver is at fault. If you caused the accident, your comprehensive policy may cover repairs or third-party costs, but motor legal assistance is not there to recover your own uninsured losses.
Drivers should also remember that legal assistance is separate from personal injury or vehicle repair cover. It supports representation in specific situations rather than replacing the underlying insurance.
Who would benefit from motor legal assistance?
For many drivers, motor legal assistance is worth considering because relatively small losses can add up quickly after a non-fault accident. The policy excess, a few days of alternative travel and time off work can together become expensive. Having motor legal assistance may make it easier to recover those costs without arranging legal help yourself.
It may suit you if you drive regularly, rely on your car for work or family life, or want added reassurance in the event of an accident leading to a dispute. It may be less relevant if you're comfortable handling uninsured loss recovery on your own, though many drivers prefer the convenience and support of specialist help.
You usually buy this cover alongside your car insurance rather than as a standalone policy. With AA car insurance, motor legal assistance is included with the Gold and Platinum levels of cover, but is optional for Silver car insurance.
