What Is Personal Accident Cover?
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While applying for your upcoming car accident insurance policy, you’ll probably have seen personal accident cover listed as one of the main features included with the policy, or available as an optional extra.
However, if you’re like many drivers, you’re probably wondering what personal accident cover car insurance is exactly and how it benefits you.
In today’s definitive guide, we’re going to detail absolutely everything you need to know about accident injury claims. Let's dive right in!
What is personal accident cover on car insurance?
In short, if you’re involved in a car accident where you or a passenger of your vehicle is injured or killed as a direct result of the incident, your personal accident cover is designed to help you cover the costs.
In the situation where the accident is not your fault, it’s the other driver’s insurer who will pay for any personal injury fees that incur and any compensation that needs to be paid out. That’s all there is to answering the question of what is personal accident insurance!
What are the best personal accident car insurance policies?
To give you a clear idea of what all the personal protection insurance providers are offering in terms of price, scroll down for a definitive list. However, if you’re ready to find the best car insurance policy that offers personal accident cover? Take a look at these policies to easily find which one is the best investment for you;
To give you a clear idea of what all the personal protection insurance providers are offering in terms of price, scroll down for a defintive list. However, if you’re ready to find the best car insurance policy that offers personal accident cover? Take a look at these policies to easily find which one is the best investment for you:
| Insurance Provider | Average Price | Personal injury cover features | Opinion on the Policy in general |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Prices start at £17.00 |
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 | Prices start at £17.99 |
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 | Prices start at £26.95 |
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 | Prices start at £26.95 |
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 | Prices start at £26.95 |
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 | Prices start at £26.95 |
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All the prices and features above are to be used as a guideline only and are subject to change depending on the provider and your personal information, such as your age, location, or the vehicle you’re driving.
How much personal accident car insurance cost?
How much personal accident cover costs really depends on your insurer and how much they are charging, and this can vary for multiple reasons.
If you want a quick lowdown on which prices are offered by which insurance provider when it comes to personal accident cover, here’s a quick way to compare personal accident insurance policies!
| Insurance Provider | Cost of Personal Accident Cover on third party policies | Cost of Personal Accident Cover on comprehensive policies |
|---|---|---|
 | £29.95 | £29.95 |
| £29.95 | £29.95 |
 | £29.95 | £29.95 |
 | Included as standard | Included as standard |
 | £29.95 | £29.95 |
 | £29.95 | £29.95 |
 | £29.99 | £29.99 |
 | £29.99 | £29.99 |
 | Included as standard | Included as standard |
 | £29.99 | £29.99 |
 | £29.99 | £29.99 |
 | Included as standard | Included as standard |
 | £29.99 | £29.99 |
What is covered under personal accident insurance?
As stated above, if anybody in your vehicle, including you and your passengers, are injured or killed during a car accident situation, any costs that arise from this will be covered by the personal injury cover.
Some of the charges that are typically covered include:
- Lost income
- Any medical costs
- Hospitalisation benefits
- Fatality payouts.
What is included in a personal injury insurance policy can differ depending on the terms and conditions of the insurance provider you’re using, so it’s always worth asking to see what is included and what isn’t.
What is not covered under personal accident insurance?
There are some general exclusions that personal insurance UK cover won’t pay out for that you’ll need to be aware of, but this, of course, will depend on the terms and conditions of the individual provider.
Some of these situations include;
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Driving with an invalid license
- Driving without a seatbelt
- Driving in a race situation or speed test
- Driving above the speed limit
- An accident where the injury was self-inflicted.
There may also be age restrictions on some personal accident policies, for example, if you’re over the age of 80 and more prone to injuries.
Is personal accident car insurance mandatory?
No, there is no legal requirement stating that you need to have personal accident cover in your insurance policy, but some insurers will provide it as standard, typically on fully comprehensive policies, or as an optional extra you can add on.
However, before you consider skipping through this and potentially saving money on your car insurance policy, think about how not having this kind of cover could affect you.
For example, imagine you’re in a car accident and you break a bone or injury yourself in a way that means you’re unable to work in the long-term. How is this going to cost you in terms of income? How would your family or household manage? By taking out personal accident cover and having the ability to make an accident injury claim, you can help reduce the financial impact this would have dramatically.
What to look when taking a personal accident car insurance?
It’s important to see what your preferred insurance provider is offering to ensure you’re covered and you know what kind of accidents you claim for, and it will vary depending on which provider you’re using. Here are some things to look out for;
| Explanation | |
|---|---|
| Duration of payment | How your compensation is paid out will differ depending on your provider. Some providers will pay out with a lump sum whereas others will pay out in instalments over a select period of time. |
| How various situations are dealt with | Some providers will differ how they pay out their compensation based on the situation that takes place and the kind of injury sustained. For example, major injury compensation could be paid out faster than minor injuries. |
| Fatal accidents | Always check to see how much will be paid out during a fatal accident since this can differ dramatically. Some providers will not cover fatal accidents at all. |
| Disability benefits | If you have a disability, you may have entitled to certain discounts on your policy and the payout you’re able to claim for. This will vary depending on your provider. |
| Possible upgraded policies | In some cases where you’re not getting the full personal accident cover you want to be protected by, you may be able to request upgrades at different stages of your policy. It’s always nice to have this option. |
How can I make a personal injury claim?
If you find yourself in an accident situation where an injury has been sustained and you need to make a claim, it’s important to make sure you’re filing your claim as quickly as possible in order to validate the claim.
Of course, the first step is to make sure everyone is okay and are being medically treated by professionals. This could be going to the doctor after an accident or contacting the emergency services while you’re still at the scene.
No matter what approach you take to sorting out your injuries, you need to make sure you’re collecting a copy of medical documentation that is being created. This is essential for moving your accident insurance claim forward.
With this medical documentation in hand, you can then contact your insurance provider and telling them everything that’s happened and the claim process will begin.
An investigation will then take place to determine who was at fault in the accident and whose insurance company will be paying out the compensation. If, at any point, you feel the insurance company is taking too long to process your personal accident claim, simply get in touch to see what is happening.If it is still taking too long, you can file a complaint. Don’t worry, however, this won’t hold up your accident and injury claims process or penalise you in any way.
What is the difference between personal accident and personal injury?
During your car insurance search, you may have seen two very similar terms; accident insurance cover and personal injury cover. However, there is very little difference between the two.
The truth is, for many providers, the terms are interchangeable and there’s not much difference.
Nowadays, most insurance companies will pay out for both accident and injury cover under the same term.
Good to know
To make sure you’re getting the type of cover you want, simply contact your preferred insurance provider and ask them for their definition of the terms. If you’re covered for the situations where you’re involved in an accident and need financial assistance, as we’ve defined above, you won’t have any problems.
