Accidental death insurance is an inexpensive insurance coverage that can prove to be extremely useful when combined with a life insurance policy. Many life insurance companies offer accidental insurance as a free rider. If not, you may need to pay a small additional amount for this type of coverage. As a rider within your life insurance policy, accidental insurance provides your beneficiary with double the death benefits if you die of accidental causes specified within the policy. This is called double indemnity. Like any insurance, accidental death insurance needs to be renewed each year.

What is accidental death insurance?

Accidental death insurance is just that. If you die in an accident or suffer from dismemberment because of an accident, you or your family will receive insurance coverage against your accidental insurance policy. It is a very limited form of insurance which is why, as a stand-alone policy those who want to be covered against all probable causes of death, may not find accidental insurance adequately covers their needs.

Who needs accidental death insurance?

Unintentional injuries rank fifth in the leading cause of death in the United States. Every hour, 13 Americans die of an accident. Almost every 11 minutes, a death occurs because of a motor vehicle accident. It makes sense for everyone to have an accidental death insurance policy. Accidental insurance is a must for people who travel a lot, or have jobs that put them at higher risk of an accident.

What coverage can you expect?

Death by a motor accident, homicide, falls, drowning and accidents due to equipment are usually covered in this kind of insurance. Accidental insurance also covers you for dismemberment of certain limbs, fingers, permanent paralysis and loss of vision caused by a direct result of an accident. Scheduled payments of fractional amounts are usually made under such circumstances. Injuries covered, the extent to which damages are covered by the insurance company may differ from policy to policy, but are explicitly mentioned in the terms of the policy.

Not covered under accidental death insurance
Death by sickness, suicide, natural causes may not be covered. Some accident policies will not cover death through terror attacks. Terms for payout may also not include death from high-risk hobbies or sports such as rock climbing, bungee jumping or para-gliding. Of course, if you die under the influence of alcohol or drugs or have an accident while breaking the law, your accidental insurance policy cannot be cashed out by your beneficiary.

You should also know that an accidental insurance policy will pay out only if death or dismemberment occurs within a stipulated time frame, which is usually 3 months from the date of the accident.

The Benefits of Accidental Death Life Insurance

Accidental death insurance should never be considered as an alternative to a regular life insurance policy. Accidental death insurance offers coverage only against death by accident and that too, with certain stipulations, which should be carefully read before signing a contract. That is why it makes sense to purchase accidental insurance in addition to regular life insurance coverage.

Here are some specific benefits to having accidental death life insurance:

  • Accidental death insurance can give you peace of mind. This type of insurance is very affordable. For a payment of about $11 a month, your family can receive coverage of up to $500,000 if you die by an accident covered by this type of insurance.
  • Accidental death insurance is available to everyone, despite any prevailing health conditions. If you have pre-existing health conditions that put you in the un-insurable category for life insurance or you have to pay very high premiums, accidental death insurance could be a good way for you to provide some coverage for your family, even though it is limited.
  • There are some accidental insurance policies that come with free travel accident benefits. If you die while traveling as a passenger on an airplane, subway, train or bus, your beneficiary will receive an additional 100 percent from the life insurance company.
  • Accidental death insurance is guaranteed if you are between the ages of 18 and 80. Unlike life insurance, you don’t need to go through any medical examination to qualify for accidental death insurance.

Conclusion

Because of how easy and inexpensive it is to get accidental insurance, everyone should go for accidental death insurance. It can be purchased as a stand-alone product or as a rider on your life insurance policy. Be sure to check out online resources and make use of free life insurance quotes to get the best bargain!

About AccuQuote:
AccuQuote is a leader in providing term life quotes to people across the United States. In 1986 it began operating with a single goal: to make the process of buying term insurance as easy as possible for its customers. Their experienced professionals consistently deliver the most affordable term insurance rates by comparing thousands of life insurance policies from dozens of top-rated carriers.





























About the author

Denise Mancini-Blonda is manager of public relations and marketing communications for AccuQuote. In addition to overseeing all corporate media relations, internal executive and employee communications, she plays a key role in the overall content development of the company’s online and offline marketing campaigns. This entails overseeing and implementing AccuQuote’s social media, blog and podcast strategies, as well as its word-of-mouth marketing campaign.