It’s No Joke – paying
for unnecessary insurance
Did you hear the one about the UNISON member who realised
that she was wasting her money on legal expense insurance,
told her insurers to stick it and that she did not need it
as part of her motor insurance at renewal and then was involved
in a crash one week later? She saved herself £40 and
still got all of the help and support she needed through
UNISON Legal Service’s road traffic package.
There is no punchline, it is not a joke; it is that plain
and simple. If you are a UNISON member you do not need legal
expense insurance on your motor insurance and neither do
your family as they are also covered by the UNISON scheme.
So, if you have three drivers in the family, that can mean
an annual household saving of £120 or more.
There are
two parts to most people’s motor insurance.
There is firstly the basic part which provides the cover
that you normally associate with insurance. If you cause
an accident, it deals with the damage caused including other
people’s injury claims. Additionally, if you are fully
comprehensive, the basic part will have your car uplifted
and repaired. You will also normally get a courtesy car.
There is secondly the “froth on top” legal expense
insurance.
This provides full accident management but, and
this is the important part, it only kicks in if the accident
was someone else’s fault (“non-fault”,
as the insurers call it) and that is the bit they do not
tell you when they take your £40 each year. UNISON
members do not need it and they are wasting their money taking
it our because UNISON members get full accident
management benefits from UNISON's road traffic scheme. Your
car will be uplifted at the roadside and taken to a repairer
of your choice. That will normally mean an approved dealership
and not being forced to use the insurers “approved
repairer”. You will also have immediate use of a car
of exactly the same make and model as your own (“like
for like”).
So if you drive a people carrier, an estate,
a 4x4 or any other vehicle for that matter, that is the
type of car you will be given while your own car is off the
road
being repaired. You will not have to put up with a small,
impractical, courtesy car. The accident management service
will take the hassle away by dealing with all of the administration
for you, including liaising with the insurers, bodyshops
etc. Finally, if you have suffered any injury, loss or
damage, a claim will be pursued on your behalf and you will,
of course,
always retain 100% of your compensation.
You will still have
the basic insurance which will deal with other people’s
loss and damage if the accident was your fault. You do not
need legal expense insurance to have
this cover and legal expense insurance does not provide any
benefits in those circumstances.
So, when it comes to the next time you, or any members of
your family, are renewing your motor insurance, save yourself
some money and tell the insurer you do not need legal expense
insurance – you are covered by the UK’s biggest
union, UNISON.
Page updated 10 March 2013
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