Accident insurance can be defined as insurance coverage taken out to protect an individual in the case of personal injury as a result of an accident. There are different types of such insurance policies available, but 9 out of 10 times accident insurance plans will not pay for injuries because of carelessness or acts of God or natural disasters.
Most trustworthy insurance providers or certified brokers will be able to advise you regarding obtaining accident insurance. This could be by means of an add-on to an active policy, or as a separate policy and is typically available at reasonably competitive costs.
As with just about all insurance plans, acquiring accident insurance is seen as a bit of a wager. The client takes out insurance with the expectation that he/she will never be in an accident and the insurance provider will write the policy with the hope that they’ll never need to pay out. Then why, if neither the insurer nor the insured wants to utilize the policy, is accident insurance even needed?
The answer is simple: A mishap can occur at any time and not everyone may have funds available to spend on treatment, a hospital stay or for any other expenses associated with the injuries suffered in the accident. This is especially true if people don’t have health insurance or medical aids – where will they suddenly find a lump sum of money to cover these unforeseen costs?
Remember that not all accident policies will offer the same cover. Some policies will simply pay the insured to cover medical expenses following an accident. Other policies may also include pain and suffering brought upon from the accident and the injuries sustained. Other policies might pay out a monthly amount to care for an insured that’ve been permanently disabled due to an accident and for that reason won’t be able to work and earn an income again. Other policies will pay out a named beneficiary in the eventuality of the passing away of the insured. Ensure that you’ve got a good idea of your insurance needs to enable you to pick the best available policy to meet your requirements.
Ensure that you question the insurance company’s track record to paying out claims before you commit to a certain insurance provider. Some companies are infamous for dragging their feet when having to pay a claim, trying to find excuse after excuse and examining every single detail of the accident again and again. Following an accident, you will usually need instant care; therefore a company with a poor pay-out track record might not be the best option to follow.
Accident insurance can also be taken out to protect those who participate in extreme sports. Anything from horse riding to technical scuba diving and white water rafting could make an individual a risky proposition for an insurance company, so make 100% sure if your accident insurance policy will cover the cost of an ambulance, a hospital stay, physiotherapy and other treatment following an accident. These types of policies are often slightly more costly than a typical accident insurance policy, but as these types of sports can cause severe injuries, it is totally comprehensible!
Don’t take a gamble with your body – make certain you will be effectively covered in case of an accident!