Is motor legal protection insurance useful or necessary?
Motor legal protection insurance supports you in legal disputes relating to road traffic. But is it useful– or even necessary?
08.04.2026
iStock / nambitomo
1. What is motor legal protection insurance?
Motor legal protection insurance is optional. It helps you with legal issues and disputes related to road traffic and mobility. For example, it covers lawyers’ fees and legal expenses, as well as other costs. It also helps you to enforce your own claims, such as claims for damages.
Many motor legal protection insurance policies are not limited to Switzerland. They also support you in the event of disputes abroad – depending on the scope of coverage, either in EU/EFTA countries or worldwide.
2. What cases are covered by motor legal protection insurance?
What exactly motor legal protection insurance covers is dependent on the insurer and the chosen cover. In some cases, you may also have to pay a deductible first before the insurance covers any costs.
Important: Legal protection insurance policies often have a waiting period. This means that they will only cover the costs after a specified waiting period.
In addition, most motor legal protection insurance policies do not cover the costs of cases that occurred before the insurance was taken out. In some cases, this also applies to foreseeable disputes.
Below, you can see some examples of areas, in which motor legal expenses insurance can support you.
If you are involved through no fault of your own, in a car accident, you can legally assert your claims. This includes, for example, compensation for damages, such as for the repair of your vehicle.
If you are issued with excessively high traffic fines and unjustified revocation of your driving licence, motor legal expenses insurance can support you in challenging the penalty by providing legal assistance during the proceedings.
This applies to the following areas:
Leasing
Purchase
Rent
Hire
For example, if a dispute arises after you buy a used car, does a dispute arise, for example after buying a used car? If so, your motor legal expenses insurance will help you assert your rights.
For example, if your car insurance does not cover costs that you believe it should cover, your motor legal protection insurance will help you legally enforce your claims.
The types of cover offered by different insurance companies can vary greatly. Therefore, you should compare the offers and cover provided by different insurance companies before deciding on one.
Note: Legal protection insurance usually only covers costs up to a maximum amount. The amount depends on the insurance policy you choose. It may also vary depending on the type of legal case.
3. Is motor legal protection important if I am accused of a traffic offence?
Motor legal protection insurance can help you if you contest the fine for a traffic offence and wish to appeal against it. It can provide you with legal support during the trial.
Many motor legal protection insurance policies exclude certain types of loss or damage from their cover. These include offences committed as a result of drink-driving. The insurance company will also often not help you in the event of accidents caused intentionally or if you were driving without a driving licence.
Note: Motor legal protection insurance policies do not cover your fines or financial penalties.
4. Without your own car: motor legal protection insurance, yes or no?
Motor legal protection insurance can also be worthwhile to be worthwhile for people who don’t have their own car as well. This is because the policy usually covers all cases related to road traffic – and you are involved in road traffic even if you don’t own a car. Some insurance policies also cover disputes over travel-related contracts.
In addition, motor legal protection insurance can also help you in cases related to rental cars and car-sharing vehicles. If there are disputes when using these services, the insurance can help you.
5. How much does motor legal protection insurance cost?
The cost of motor legal protection insurance depends on factors including depending on:
Scope of cover
Scope of services
Number of insured persons
They also differ from insurer to insurer. Some providers also offer lower prices for younger people.
For an individual annual premiums start from less than CHF 60 per year. For a family you should expect to pay at least CHF 85 per year. It’s worth comparing prices and benefits.
Good to know: You can take out motor legal protection insurance with both insurance companies and motoring organisations. Depending on the motor club, you will either pay more without a membership or be required to take out a membership.
Save by combining personal legal protection and motor legal protection
Would you also like to be covered by legal expenses insurance be covered by legal expenses insurance for private issues as well? If so, it’s worth taking out both insurance policies with the same provider. This is because combined legal expenses insurance is often cheaper than taking out both policies separately.
6. Conclusion: Is motor legal protection insurance a good idea?
Motor legal protection insurance can support you in in the event of disputes related to road traffic and other forms of mobility. If there is a legal dispute, the insurance will cover, among other things, lawyers’ fees and legal expenses – and these can run into several thousand francs.
Motor legal expenses insurance can also help you pursue your claims.In this way, you are in a better position in the event of a dispute than you would be without insurance.
As a rule, therefore, motor legal protection insurance can be a good supplement to motor liability insurance. insurance.
In civil proceedings, people with few assets and living on the subsistence level are entitled to free legal aid. free legal aid (Art. 29 para. 3 BV). The prerequisites are that you do not have the necessary means for the legal proceedings and that your legal claim does not appear to be without prospect of success (Art. 117 ZPO).
This means that you do not have to pay any advance on costs. You are also provisionally exempt from paying the court fees as well as your own attorney’s fees. However, if your financial situation improves within ten years, you must repay the advance.
If you are entitled to legal aid, you should give particular consideration to whether to take out motor legal expenses insurance. In this case, it may not be worthwhile for you at all.
This article was first published on 08.05.2014
