When taking out home insurance, many people don’t see the point of paying an extra £15-odd per year for legal expenses, mainly for two reasons - they don’t fully understand what it covers and, those that do understand, think that they’ll never need to use it. However, for people like Miss X - who slipped on a grape while doing her shopping – it can mean the difference between financial ruin and financial recompense.

When Miss X slipped on a grape while doing her weekly shopping at her local supermarket, she didn’t realise how much her life would be affected. However, when x-rays showed a fracture to the left wrist (resulting in surgery and the insertion of wires) she was temporarily unable to work and forced to cancel her long-awaited holiday.

Personal injury claim websites were unable to help Miss X as the injury had not occurred at her workplace nor was as a result of a road traffic accident. With bills mounting and a holiday and gym membership paid for that she was unable to use, Miss X was at a loss what to do.

Then Miss X remembered that she had something called ‘Legal Expenses Cover’ under her home insurance policy. She contacted her insurer who confirmed that they could help her and after undergoing legal action, Miss X was awarded £9,612.58.

Jason Hulott from specialist insurance website protection-insurance.com says: "Many consumers look for the cheapest premiums possible when it comes to insurance – which isn’t a bad thing. However, this can come at a price. This usually involves removing the additional product benefits that insurers don’t actively promote such as Legal Expenses Cover to reduce the cost of insurance.

While Legal Expenses cover will vary from insurer to insurer, typical benefits will include legal expense costs for:

Plastic Surgery (negligent surgeons etc)

Dental Care negligence

Employment dispute (not contractual breaches)

Personal Injury cause at work (this is often more effective that an Industry Tribunal as claims lost will cost the client, plus the defendants legal expenses. Legal Expense insurance will cover all these costs whether you lose or win)

Boarder Disputes and the Personal Injury caused by these disputes (often very complicated and emotional for our clients prior to a solicitor solving the problem)

Hulott says: "Many people think that they will never need to use this type of benefit. However, for those people who have needed to take legal action but cannot afford the costs it has helped some way to recompense them for financial losses and pain."

How Legal Expenses Cover can help:

Miss A worked as a contracted member of staff and received sexual harassment from another member of staff. This began at a dinner dance/ work function, where Miss A was continually followed by the respondent and who then proceeded to comment of her attire and pour a pint of drink over her. Miss A escaped the hassle by dancing on the dance floor and the respondent appeared displeased with this so he grabbed Miss A, digging his nails into the her hands. Miss A then received a telephone call at 5 am in the morning from the respondent who intimated that he wanted to ‘teach her a lesson’. Legal action was taken by Miss A’s insurers on behalf and she received £1898.75

Mr B was cycling to work, proceeding to a roundabout when he was involved in a collision with a Nissan Turano. The vehicle failed to stop at the give way markings and entered onto the roundabout and into the collision with our Mr B’s cycle who suffered personal injury and losses. Payment received - £2,200 plus interest and costs

Mr C had poor root canal treatment by his dentist on 2 teeth, and two options were given to him: either having re-root canal treatment or having the teeth removed and replacing with implants. Mr C has had constant treatment to fix the problem with his teeth with another dentist and has experienced chronic discharge and infection over a period of 3.5 years. Cost to date – £3,500 + VAT ongoing for which legal action is currently being taken by Mr C’s insurers.

Stella H was taking her dustbin around to the front of her house, when her foot went down a hole on communal ground. She was unable to work for two weeks plus spent over £300 on private physiotherapy sessions. Her insurers are acting on her behalf. Cost to date - £3,000 plus and ongoing.