Insurance for accidental death

You never know what life is going to throw at you, so it’s important to be prepared for worst-case scenarios.

To protect your loved ones you can take out accidental death insurance as a standalone policy or alongside a standard life insurance policy for an additional layer of protection.

But how does accidental death insurance differ to life insurance and do you need both forms of cover?

We can’t secure accidental death insurance for you at Reassured, but we can compare life insurance quotes from some of the UK’s leading providers.

By securing a life insurance policy not only will your loved ones be protected if you were to pass away due to an accident but you’ll be covered for other manners of death, including natural death.

Simply get in touch to find out what life insurance options are available.

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What is accidental death insurance?

Accidental death insurance is a form of life insurance that will cover death from an unexpected accident.

Your loved ones won’t receive a pay out if you pass away due to any other cause.

For example, if you take out an accidental death policy and you pass away as a result of an illness, a pay out won’t be made.

Depending on the type of policy you take out, you can also be covered for accidental injury and disability.

You’ll need to check the policy terms and conditions to find out what you’ll be covered for, as cover will vary between providers.

It’s also likely that there will be a number of exclusions written into an accidental death policy, which is something to be aware of when looking into this type of cover.

Accidental death insurance vs life insurance

Accidental death insurance Life insurance
Pays out to your loved ones if you pass away as a result of an accident while your policy is active Pays out to your loved ones if you pass away during the term of the policy
Won’t pay out to your loved ones if you pass away due to illness Covers death by all causes (some policies may not pay out for suicide or due to any pre-existing conditions you may have)
Personal accident insurance could pay out for disability Terminal illness cover included as standard (on all term policies)
Could pay out to you for accidental injury Critical illness cover (CIC) can be added for an additional fee
Smaller level of cover than life insurance (often up to £100,000 - £150,000) Can choose sum assured up to £1,000,000
Do not need to provide medical information Need to provide medical information at the point of application (unless taking out an over 50s plan)
Pay out can be used to help cover bills, living costs and funeral expenses Pay out can help to cover day to day living costs, pay off a mortgage, cover funeral costs or be left as inheritance.
Amount paid out may not be enough to cover a mortgage  

Does term life insurance cover accidental death?

Yes, term life insurance will cover you for any death if you pass away during the term of your policy.

Difference between life insurance and accidental death

Accidental death insurance will only pay out to your loved ones if you pass away as a result of an accident.

Depending on your policy, pay outs can also be made for injury and disability as a result of an accident.

Whereas, life insurance will pay out no matter the cause of death (although some policies may not pay out for suicide or any other exclusions written into the policy regarding pre-existing medical conditions).

You’ll also have the opportunity to add additional layers of protection to your policy.

Terminal illness will come as standard with term life insurance, allowing you to make an early claim if you’re diagnosed with a life-threatening illness (and are predicted to pass away within 12 months).

You can also add critical illness cover to your policy, for an additional cost. This will allow you to make an early claim in the event of serious illness such as stroke, some forms of cancer and heart attack.

For this reason, a life insurance policy will provide more comprehensive cover.

These two forms of cover also differ in how premiums are calculated.

With life insurance, you’ll need to provide information about certain aspects of your life, including:

  • Your age
  • Your health and wellbeing
  • Smoking status

Your monthly premium will then be calculated accordingly using this information, alongside the cover amount and term you choose for your policy.

In contrast, with accidental death cover, you won’t need to provide any medical information.

Your premium will be based on the level of cover you’d like to take out and the length of time you’d like to be covered for.

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Accidental death insurance plans

There are two common types of accidental death cover:

  1. Accidental death and dismemberment (AD & D)
  2. Personal accident

Accidental death and dismemberment insurance

Accidental death and dismemberment insurance will pay out to your loved ones if you pass away due to accidental death.

Your loved ones can use this pay out to help pay for your funeral and cover daily living costs.

It will also pay out to you if you suffer a dismemberment (the loss or loss of use of a body part or body function).

You can use this pay out to help replace any lost income you might experience from not being able to work, as well as pay for medical treatment you may need to undergo.

A payment for dismemberment is often paid on a ‘per-member’ basis.

This means that the amount paid out to you will be in relation to how many limbs (or functions) are lost.

For example, if you were to lose one arm, you’ll likely receive 50% of your pay out. However, these amounts will vary between providers.

What does accidental death and dismemberment insurance cover?

Accidental death and dismemberment will pay out for any death that is deemed accidental (for example, a car crash).

As well as paying out partially for loss of limbs (including fingers and toes) and loss of vision (loss of eyes) that is a result of an accident.

What’s covered will vary between providers so when looking into this form of cover it’s important to compare all the different options.

Personal accident insurance

Personal accident cover (sometimes known as personal injury insurance) will pay out if you suffer a serious injury.

It will also pay out to your loved ones if you pass away due to an accident.

Like with accidental death and dismemberment insurance, you can use your pay out to help cover any lost income you might experience.

This can be particularly beneficial for those who are self-employed as you won’t be paid sick pay by an employer.

Personal accident insurance can help to provide funds to help ease financial stress if you’re unable to work.

If you were to pass away, your loved ones can use the pay out to keep up with any financial commitments.

What does personal accident insurance cover?

You’ll be covered for death and injury caused by:

What are examples of accidental death?

Accidental deaths are those that are out of our control. The most common types covered under an accidental death policy include:

  • Car accidents
  • Choking
  • Drowning
  • Slips/falls

Is a heart attack covered by accidental death insurance?

No, a heart attack often won’t be covered by accidental death insurance.

A heart attack will typically be a result of a medical condition and therefore, isn’t counted as a form of accidental death.

However, a standard life insurance policy will cover death as a result of a heart attack.

What's more, if you have critical illness cover added on to your policy, you can often make a claim to receive an early pay out from your policy.

Is an overdose considered an accidental death?

Depending on the circumstances, accidental death insurance may pay out for an overdose. However, it will need to meet certain criteria.

For an overdose to be deemed accidental, the medical examiner or coroner must deem that:

  • The drug was taken accidentally
  • Too much of a drug was taken accidentally
  • The wrong drug was given/taken
  • An accident occurred using a drug in a medical or surgical procedure

It’s important to be aware that there may be some exclusions (for example, risky behaviour) included within a policy which may make a claim for an overdose invalid.

If an overdose has been taken in an attempt to commit suicide, this won’t be considered as accidental.

For more information read our comprehensive article on life insurance for drug users »

Accidental death benefit life insurance

Some life insurance policies may include an ‘accidental death benefit’.

In some cases, not all applications for life cover will be approved straight away. For example, if you have a pre-existing medical condition and more information about your condition needs to be gathered.

Therefore, insurers may provide an accidental death benefit to cover you during the time your policy is postponed so that you’re not left unprotected.

Once your application has been accepted, your life cover will commence and your loved ones will be protected when you pass away, no matter the cause of death (however, some policies may not pay out for suicide or health-related exclusions that are written into your policy).

Similarly, with an over 50s plan, you’ll typically be given a ‘waiting period’ at the beginning of your policy.

Insurers include a waiting period to compensate for the unknown risk, as you don’t have to provide medical information when taking out an over 50s plan.

During this waiting period, usually, the first 12 - 24 months, if you pass away due to natural causes (for example, old age or illness) then no pay out will be made to your loved ones.

However, during this time you’ll be covered for accidental death, meaning if you pass away due to an accident your loved ones will receive a pay out.

Once your waiting period has passed, you’ll be covered for other manners of death including accidental.

Accidental death mortgage insurance

There’s no product called accidental death mortgage insurance but you may decide to take out an accidental death policy to protect your mortgage.

However, as accidental death insurance is a more limited form of cover, your level of cover may not be enough for your loved ones to pay off the mortgage in full if you were to pass away.

Alternatively, you could take out a life insurance policy to protect your mortgage.

By doing this not only would you be protected against other manners of death, but you can match your sum assured to your mortgage balance.

You can also factor in other costs, such as family living expenses and funeral costs into your sum assured – ensuring there’s enough funds for your loved ones to cover everything.

For more information about protecting your mortgage with a life insurance policy, get in touch and speak to a member of our award-winning team.

They’ll be able to talk you through your options and find you the most cost-effective option.

Group accidental death and dismemberment insurance

Some employers may offer accidental death and dismemberment insurance as an employee benefit, similar to death in service.

In this scheme you’ll generally be covered for:

  • Accidental death
  • Permanent disability
  • Partial disability
  • Loss of hearing or sight
  • Loss of limbs

Like with any other accidental death policy, a pay out will be made to your loved ones if you pass away as a result of an accident.

If you suffer an injury or disability, the pay out will be made to you to help cover lost income.

There are a variety of different schemes available, some will be paid for by employers and others will be voluntary (paid for by employees).

You can find out if you benefit from group accidental death and dismemberment insurance by checking your contract of employment or by consulting your employer.

They’ll be able to provide full information about whether this benefit is offered and what options are available to you.

Accidental death insurance claim

Making an accidental death insurance claim will be similar to making a standard life insurance claim.

If you pass away (as a result of an accident only), your loved ones will need to contact your provider to let them know of your passing.

They’ll then need to provide information about the death so the claim can be assessed.

Once the claim has been assessed and deemed valid, the money will be paid out.

If you’re claiming due to injury, you can make the claim yourself or someone can do it on your behalf.

Again, you’ll need to provide details about your accident so that your claim can be assessed.

Accidental death insurance cost

The price you pay for accidental death insurance will vary between providers.

Unlike life insurance, you won’t need to provide any medical information during the application process.

Instead, your monthly premium will be based on the level of cover you require and length of time you want to be covered for.

For example, Aviva offers personal accident insurance starting at £1.85 a month for up to £22,500 of cover, increasing to around £13.87 for up to £180,000 of cover^.

While these may seem like large sums of money, the level of cover provided may not be enough for your loved ones to cover all costs.

To put things into perspective, a standard life insurance policy can be taken out from as little as 20p-a-day.

Cover amounts can range from £2,000 all the way up to £1,000,000. The cost of your policy will depend on the amount of cover you need, as well as your age, smoking status and personal circumstances such as your health and lifestyle.

Not to mention you’ll also be covered for other manners of death.

Do I need accidental death insurance?

It’s ultimately up to you and what you want to protect.

If you have a high-risk occupation or take part in a high-risk hobby, you may decide accidental death insurance is the right option for you.

If you’ve previously struggled to secure life insurance, perhaps due to a pre-existing condition and are too young to take out an over 50s plan, accidental death insurance could provide you with an opportunity to secure some form of cover to protect your loved ones.

Have you been declined for life insurance?

At Reassured, our impaired life insurance team could help those previously declined find some form of life cover

So if you’ve previously been declined for life insurance, all is not lost.

Simply get in touch and our award-winning team will be happy to help.

Do I need both life insurance and AD & D?

Depending on your circumstances, life insurance may provide enough cover to meet your needs.

A standard life insurance policy will likely be enough protection for most in order to help cover important aspects such as a mortgage, daily living costs and funeral costs.

However, if you have a high-risk occupation or take part in high-risk hobbies, you may decide that you want additional accidental death cover to protect against injury.

Although we can’t arrange accidental death cover as a standalone policy, talking to an expert (like Reassured) can help you gather all the information you need to help you make an informed decision regarding life insurance options.

We can also help you decode any jargon you might not understand.

Free accidental death insurance

Personal accident cover is sometimes included with some fully comprehensive car insurance policies.

While this is a nice benefit, the amount of protection you receive will likely not be a substantial amount.

Relying solely on this small amount may not provide the funds to cover everything for your loved ones.

This highlights the need to take out your own personal protection to ensure all of your financial commitments are covered.

Accidental death insurance quotes

While we can’t compare accidental death policies for you at Reassured, we can compare life insurance policies from some of the UK's leading providers.

This means not only will you be protected against accidental death, but all manners of death (depending on the policy you choose).

Get in touch to secure a cost-effective policy to protect your loved ones.

Our award-winning team will do all the hard work, guiding you through the entire process and helping you save time and money.

Why not get in touch to receive your free no-obligation quotes?

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