Electric Car Chat

Your Guide to Legal Protection Insurance for Electric Cars—and Why £15 Could Save You Thousands

• Graham Hill • Season 2 • Episode 11

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Ever felt out of your depth arguing about a failing EV battery, a botched home charger install, or a dealer promise that evaporated after delivery? We pull back the curtain on legal protection and make it simple, splitting fact from fine print so you know exactly what help you can expect—and when. From real‑world EV dispute scenarios to the exact costs and limits you’ll see on policy documents, we map the route to getting your money back and your confidence restored.

We break down the two big flavours of cover most drivers confuse: broad standalone legal protection that spans everyday issues like employment, consumer rights, family law, wills and probate—plus motoring advice—and the focused motor legal protection add‑on that funds recovery of uninsured losses after a non‑fault crash. You’ll hear how excess, lost earnings, medical fees, damaged belongings and hire car costs fit into the claim, why insurers look for a better‑than‑even chance of success, and what the Official Injury Claim portal changed for smaller injuries. We also show where EV ownership raises the stakes: battery state‑of‑health disputes, charging network damage claims, software update problems, and the challenge of garages working on high‑voltage systems without the right qualifications.

Cost and value matter, so we talk real numbers: typical £20–£35 annual pricing for motor legal protection with up to £100,000 in legal expense cover, and low‑cost standalone options that provide 24/7 advice across life’s legal tangles. To avoid paying twice, we share a quick audit of where cover often hides—home insurance, bank accounts, unions—and a practical tip to compare policy wordings using AI so you can spot overlaps and gaps in plain English. If you want less stress when things go sideways and a clear plan to recover what you’re owed, this guide will help you choose the right mix of cover with confidence.

If this helped you see legal cover more clearly, follow the show, share it with a friend who drives electric, and leave a quick review to tell us what you’d like explained next.

To buy a copy of Electric Cars - The Truth Revealed visit grahamhilltraining.com. Buy the current copy and receive the totally updated version in early 2026. If you are interested in sponsoring this podcast or would be interested in working together please visit grahamhilltraining.com/contact


Legal Protection Insurance: Your Legal Safety Net

Hi this is Graham Hill and welcome to my podcast. Don’t forget to subscribe on whichever platform you found this on. Right, let's wrap up our insurance discussion with one final but important piece before I deal with the variety of insurance and product add-ons. Today I’ll be talking about Legal Protection Insurance. This is essentially having professional legal support available when you need it, without the shock of massive solicitor bills.

What Is Legal Protection Insurance

Legal Protection Insurance provides you with legal advice and covers your legal costs when disputes arise. It's particularly relevant for electric car owners because we're all navigating relatively new territory where potential problems haven't been fully mapped out yet.

The coverage can come in different forms - sometimes it's included in your standard car or home insurance, other times it's a separate policy. The key is understanding what level of protection you actually have and whether it covers the situations you're most likely to encounter.

Why Electric Car Owners Should Pay Attention

Here's the reality: electric cars are still relatively new, and the infrastructure around them is evolving rapidly. This creates potential for disputes that simply didn't exist with traditional cars.

Consider these scenarios: Your local garage claims they can service electric vehicles but clearly lacks the proper expertise with battery systems. Or perhaps there's a dispute over warranty coverage for a battery that's not performing as promised. Maybe your home charger installation goes wrong, or you find yourself in disagreement with the dealer over what was actually included in your purchase.

These situations require specialised knowledge to resolve properly, and without legal protection, you could be looking at significant costs just to understand your rights.

A Practical Example: RAC Protection Plus

Whilst not recommending the RAC Protection Plus policy, I have personally been using it for many years. At just £15 a year, which demonstrates how affordable this coverage can be, I personally believe it to be of really good value. For that modest annual cost, you get comprehensive coverage for car-related disputes including purchase and sale issues with dealers, service and repair disagreements, and part exchange disputes. They will also advise on local authority complaints following pot-hole damage. The policy also provides professional advice on traffic violations and maintains a 24/7 helpline for urgent situations.

Advice is available on everything from speeding, parking, drink or drug driving tickets through to advice on using a mobile phone whilst driving along with other violations and what to do if you have an accident or maybe what you need to take with you to comply with local laws if you take your car abroad.

Beyond the car-specific coverage, the policy extends to broader legal matters including employment issues, family law guidance, wills and probate assistance, and travel-related legal support when you're in Europe. The coverage limit goes up to £100,000 per incident, which should handle most situations you're likely to encounter.

There are of course other similar insurances out there and I should add that I am not receiving any fees or commissions for mentioning the RAC policy.

Important: Check for Existing Coverage

Before purchasing additional legal protection, you should do your homework. You may already have some level of coverage through your home insurance policy, your existing car insurance, premium bank accounts, credit and charge cards or other insurance products you already hold.

There's no point paying for duplicate coverage, so take the time to understand what protection you already have and identify any gaps. Many people discover they have more legal protection than they realised, but equally, many find that their existing coverage has significant limitations when it comes to specific situations.

Real-World Value

The financial logic is straightforward. A single consultation with a solicitor can easily cost £250 or more. For £15 per year, you have access to professional legal advice whenever you need it, plus the backing to take action if necessary.

This becomes particularly valuable when dealing with electric car-specific issues where the legal precedents may not be well established and you need expert guidance to understand your position. Rather than stumbling through complex situations alone, you have professional support to guide you through the process.

The Electric Vehicle Factor

As the electric car market matures, we're likely to see more disputes around battery performance and warranty claims, charging infrastructure responsibilities, specialised repair quality and qualifications, software updates that cause problems, and new types of insurance claims related to EV technology including charging, service, maintenance and repairs.

The challenge is that many of these issues are still being figured out by the industry. Traditional garages may not have the expertise to properly service electric vehicles, particularly when it comes to complex battery systems and continually changing complex safety systems as we move closer to autonomous (self-driving) vehicles. Charging networks are still developing their policies and procedures. Manufacturers are still learning about long-term battery performance and what constitutes reasonable warranty coverage.

Having legal protection means you're prepared for these challenges rather than facing them alone. You can get professional advice on whether a garage's repair work meets acceptable standards, or whether a manufacturer's warranty response is reasonable, or whether a charging network is properly handling damage claims.

Making the Decision

Legal Protection Insurance isn't just about the big disputes that might end up in court. Often, it's the professional advice that helps you resolve issues quickly and effectively, or simply gives you the confidence to know where you stand legally.

When you're dealing with a difficult dealer or a garage that's provided substandard work, sometimes just mentioning that you have legal backing can help focus minds and encourage a more reasonable approach to resolution. It's the difference between being seen as someone who'll probably just accept whatever they're told, versus someone who has the resources to properly challenge unfair treatment.

For electric car owners venturing into this evolving landscape, having that professional support available provides valuable peace of mind. At £15 per year for comprehensive coverage, it's difficult to argue against having this safety net in place.

The key is ensuring you understand exactly what's covered, avoiding duplication with existing policies, and choosing a provider with the expertise to handle the unique challenges that electric vehicle ownership can present. In an area where the rules are still being written, having professional legal support on your side just makes sense.

Two Types of Legal Protection - Understanding the Difference

Now, before we move on, I want to make sure you understand something important, because this confuses a lot of people.

What I've just described - that RAC Protection Plus policy and similar standalone legal protection policies - these are quite different from the "Motor Legal Protection" or "Legal Expenses Cover" that you'll see as a tick-box option when you're getting a car insurance quote.

They're both called "legal protection" or "legal cover," but they do different things. Let me explain the key differences.

Standalone policies like the RAC one are broad legal protection policies. Yes, they cover some motoring-related legal matters, but they also cover employment disputes, family law, consumer rights, wills and probate - all sorts of legal situations you might encounter in everyday life. They're about having a solicitor on call for various life situations, with your car just being one part of it.

The motoring element in these policies tends to focus on advice and representation - things like defending yourself against a speeding ticket, getting advice after an accident, dealing with disputes over car purchases or repairs. It's more about advice and guidance, helping you understand your rights and options.

The Motor Legal Protection add-on from your car insurer is much more focused. It's specifically designed for one main purpose: helping you recover your uninsured losses after an accident that wasn't your fault. It's not about broad legal advice on various topics - it's about getting your money back when someone else damages your car and you.

Think of it this way: the standalone policy is your general legal advisor for life's various situations. The insurance add-on is your specialist recovery tool for post-accident claims.

You might actually want both. The standalone policy for general legal protection and advice, and the insurance add-on specifically for recovering losses after accidents. Or you might find one covers what you need. But it's important to understand they serve different purposes. Personally, I opt for both.

Right, now let me walk you through what that insurance add-on actually includes, because this is where a lot of people get confused about what they're actually buying.

What's Included in Car Insurance Legal Protection Add-Ons

Many of you will be looking at that tick box when you're getting a quote for your car insurance - the one that says "Add Motor Legal Protection for £25" or whatever it might be.

And you're probably wondering - what exactly am I getting for that extra money? Is it worth it? And how is it different from my normal car insurance?

Let me break this down for you, because there's often quite a bit of confusion about what this specific type of legal protection actually covers.

What Your Standard Insurance Already Covers

First, let's be clear about what your standard fully comprehensive car insurance already includes. Every car insurance policy in the UK includes something called liability cover as standard. This covers you if you cause an accident and someone makes a claim against you - for their injuries, damage to their property, that sort of thing.

So if you crash into someone's BMW and it's your fault, your insurance pays for the damage to their car. If they're injured, your insurance covers their compensation claim. That's what the liability part of your insurance is for.

But - and this is the crucial bit - your standard insurance doesn't help you claim back YOUR losses when an accident isn't your fault. That's where legal protection comes in.

What Legal Protection Add-Ons Actually Cover

Motor legal protection - also called legal expenses insurance - is designed to help you recover what are called "uninsured losses" after an accident that wasn't your fault.

So what are uninsured losses? Well, let's say someone runs into the back of you at traffic lights. It's clearly their fault. Your car's damaged, you've got whiplash, and you've missed a week of work.

Your own insurance will fix your car - that's covered. But you've had to pay your excess, haven't you? That might be £250, £500, maybe more. Your standard insurance doesn't get that back for you.

You've lost a week's wages. Your standard insurance doesn't cover that either.

You had a laptop in the boot that got damaged. Not covered by your car insurance.

You've got medical expenses - maybe you needed physiotherapy for that whiplash. Again, not covered.

This is where legal protection kicks in. It covers the legal costs of pursuing a claim against the at-fault driver to recover all these losses that your standard policy won't touch.

The Typical Cover Levels

Most insurers offer legal protection with cover up to £100,000 for legal expenses. That's the maximum they'll pay towards your legal costs - solicitor's fees, court costs, that sort of thing.

Some also include cover for defending motoring prosecutions - usually up to £25,000 or so. This is separate from the uninsured loss recovery. So if you're prosecuted for a motoring offence and you want to defend yourself in court, your legal protection can help with those costs.

Now, £100,000 sounds like a lot, and it is. But remember, this isn't compensation - this is just covering the legal costs of making your claim. The actual compensation you receive comes from the other driver's insurance.

What Specific Costs Are Covered?

Let me give you the typical list of what you can claim for through legal protection. Different insurers vary slightly, but most cover similar things.

Your policy excess - that's usually the first thing people want back. If you've paid out £500 excess to get your car fixed, legal protection will help you recover that from the at-fault driver.

Loss of earnings - if you've missed work because of injuries from the accident, you can claim for lost wages.

Personal injury compensation - if you or your passengers were injured, legal protection covers the costs of pursuing compensation claims. This includes medical expenses like physiotherapy, specialist treatment, prescription costs.

Damage to personal belongings - that laptop I mentioned, your mobile phone, clothing, whatever was in the car and got damaged.

Hire car costs - if you've had to hire a replacement vehicle while yours was being repaired, and this wasn't covered by your main policy.

Travel costs - if you've incurred additional travel expenses because you couldn't use your vehicle.

All the legal costs themselves - solicitor's fees, court fees, expert witness fees if needed.

And crucially, you get access to a legal helpline. Most insurers provide a 24/7 helpline where you can get legal advice. Some limit this to motoring matters, but others - like Allianz for example - give you access to advice on any private legal matters. So you could ring up about an employment issue, a neighbour dispute, conveyancing questions when you're buying a house. That can be quite useful.

The Important Catches

Now, here's where it gets important - there are some significant limitations you need to know about.

First, legal protection only covers you if the accident wasn't your fault. If you're at fault, or even partly at fault, legal protection won't help you. It's specifically for recovering losses from someone else who caused the accident.

Second - and this is crucial - insurers will only take on your case if they believe you've got more than a 50% chance of winning. Some say 51%, but the principle is the same. They're not going to spend money on legal costs if they don't think you'll win.

This means you can pay for legal protection, be in an accident that wasn't your fault, and still potentially be told "sorry, we don't think you've got a strong enough case." That's frustrating, but from their perspective, they're not going to throw good money after bad.

Third, there are usually time limits. You generally need to notify your insurer within a certain timeframe after the accident - typically 180 days, but check your specific policy.

Fourth, and this surprises some people - you don't usually get to choose your own solicitor. The insurer will either handle it themselves or appoint a solicitor from their approved panel. Now, these are proper qualified solicitors, they're not amateurs, but you don't get to use your mate who's a lawyer or your family solicitor.

Some insurers will let you use your own solicitor if they agree to the insurer's standard fee scales, but it's not guaranteed.

Important Legal Changes

Here's something that changed recently that you need to know about - since May 2021, for personal injury claims under £5,000 in England and Wales, you can't recover legal costs even if you win.

The government introduced something called the Official Injury Claim portal. For small injury claims, you have to go through this online system yourself, or pay for a lawyer out of your own pocket.

So if you've got minor whiplash valued at say £3,000, even with legal protection on your policy, the insurer won't pay for a solicitor because they can't recover those legal costs. You'd have to use the online portal yourself.

Legal protection is most useful for larger injury claims, or when you're recovering other losses like your excess, lost earnings, and damaged belongings alongside any injury claim.

How Much Does It Cost?

The good news is legal protection is relatively cheap. Most insurers charge between £20 and £35 per year. Some charge a bit more, some a bit less, but you're typically looking at around £25 annually.

That's roughly £2 a month for up to £100,000 of legal expense cover. When you put it like that, it sounds like pretty good value.

But - and here's something to check - some fully comprehensive policies include it as standard. So before you tick that box and add it to your quote, check your policy documents. You might already have it included.

Also, check if you've got legal expenses cover elsewhere. Some packaged bank accounts include legal cover. Some home insurance policies include it. If you're a member of a trade union, you might have access to legal advice and representation. There's no point paying twice for the same thing.

Is It Worth Having?

So the big question - should you add legal protection to your car insurance?

Well, let me give you some statistics. John Lewis Insurance reported that in 2020, one in ten of their customers with motor legal protection used it to open a claim. That's 10% actually using it. Not a huge number, but not insignificant either.

And they found that on average, customers with motor legal protection recovered £500 more in compensation than customers without it. That's interesting, because the legal protection itself typically costs £25 a year. So even if you only use it once in several years, it's likely paid for itself many times over.

Think of it this way - if you're hit by an uninsured driver, or someone drives off without leaving details, or there's a dispute about who was at fault, legal costs can mount up incredibly quickly. Solicitors aren't cheap. Even if you've only got a £500 excess and some minor injuries, the cost of getting proper legal advice and representation could easily run into thousands.

For £20-£30 a year, you're getting peace of mind that if the worst happens and someone crashes into you, at least you're not going to be out of pocket for something that wasn't your fault.

My view? If you can afford the extra £25 or so, it's probably worth having. The alternative is either paying expensive legal fees yourself, or using one of those "no win, no fee" claims companies who'll take a chunk of your compensation.

And remember - if you do have legal protection included, actually use that legal helpline. Even if it's just for advice about a parking ticket dispute or a question about your MOT, you've paid for it, you might as well get some value from it.

Final Thoughts on Legal Protection

Legal protection - whether it's the standalone type or the insurance add-on - isn't essential. You can drive legally without it. But then again, breakdown cover isn't essential either, and most people have that.

It's about managing risk. Most of the time, hopefully, you'll never need it. But if you do need it, you'll be very glad you've got it. Especially if you're facing thousands in legal costs to recover your losses from an accident that wasn't your fault, or you need advice on a complex dispute with a dealer or garage.

Just make sure you read the terms and conditions. Know what's covered, what isn't, and what the limitations are. Don't assume it covers everything - it doesn't. But for what it does cover, whether it's £15 a year for a standalone policy or £25 a year for the insurance add-on, it's probably one of the better value protections you can get. Personally I take out both.


[NEW CLOSING SECTION]

Using AI to Compare Your Options

Now, I know some of you are sitting there thinking, "Graham, this is all very well, but I'm still not entirely sure what the difference is between my car insurance legal protection and that standalone RAC policy you mentioned. And how do I know which one I actually need?"

Here's where modern technology can actually help you. If you're struggling to understand the differences between what's included in the legal expenses cover available through your insurance policy and a standalone policy like the RAC one, this is where AI can be incredibly useful.

You can upload both policy documents - or even just the policy wording sections - onto one of the AI platforms. My platform of choice is Claude.ai, and I'll be honest, it's brilliant for this sort of thing.

Simply upload both documents and ask it to carry out a comparison between the two. You could ask something like: "Can you compare these two legal protection policies and explain the key differences in coverage, particularly what each one covers that the other doesn't?"

The AI will read through both policies and give you a clear breakdown of what each covers, where they overlap, and crucially, where the gaps are. It can explain it in plain English rather than insurance jargon, which is incredibly helpful.

You could also ask specific questions like: "If I have a dispute with a garage over electric vehicle repairs, which policy would cover this?" or "If I'm in an accident that wasn't my fault, which policy helps me recover my excess?"

This isn't about replacing professional advice - if you've got a serious legal situation, you absolutely should speak to a qualified solicitor. But for understanding what you're actually buying and comparing your options before you commit, AI tools like Claude can be genuinely helpful.

It's a bit like having someone read through the small print for you and explain what it all means in language you can actually understand. And let's face it, most of us don't have the time or patience to wade through pages of policy documents trying to work out the differences ourselves.

So if you're confused, give it a try. Upload your documents, ask your questions, and get a clear comparison. It might save you from buying duplicate coverage, or it might help you realise you've got a gap in your protection that needs filling.

Right, that's legal protection covered - both types. Next time you're getting a car insurance quote and you see that tick box, or you're considering a standalone policy, you'll know exactly what you're getting and whether it's worth the extra money.

And remember, you can always use AI to help you make sense of it all if you're still not sure.

Thanks for listening, I’ve been Graham Hill, still making a ruckus. See you on the next one.