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Motorists could find themselves out of pocket by not adding motor legal protection to their policy.
Rossborough is concerned that there is a growing trend for motorists to try and save themselves money when buying insurance by not taking motor legal protection and then finding themselves out of pocket should they need to claim against a third party.
‘Historically, motor legal protection was included within the price of the policy although it was always made very clear that it was an additional benefit. However, in 2014, regulators insisted that it needed to be offered as an optional extra,’ said Rob Hewlett, director of Rossborough Insurance, which is Jersey’s only Chartered Insurance Broker.
‘Although it only costs about £20, people generally don’t like paying for insurance and so they try and save money by not taking out motor legal protection. If islanders are buying through a reputable broker then they will explain the benefit and encourage you to take it out but it may not always be clear, particularly if you buy buy online.’
Mr Hewlett said the most common benefit was to help a motorist recover a policy’s excess from an at fault third party, however should a motorist or their passengers be injured through no fault of their own then motor legal protection would cover the costs of pursuing personal injury claims.
‘Motor insurance will quickly see your vehicle repaired or replaced but a claim to recover the cost of treatment and compensation is not covered which is why motor legal protection is so important,’ said Mr Hewlett.
‘Since January 2014, 139 Rossborough clients in the Channel Islands have claimed over £2.5m in personal injury claims with the largest amount being more than £350,000 and six payouts being in excess of £100,000.
‘By having motor legal protection, they have had access to legal specialists who have helped them pursue their claim. Without it they would have incurred considerable legal expenses and additional stress at a time when they should be focusing on recovering.’
