What is personal accident cover?

You might expect to make a claim on your car insurance if you have an accident, or you might want to keep your no-claims bonus and claim on someone else's insurance if they were at fault. But what about the specific types of insurance and the components of your car insurance policy? What about the personal accident cover on car insurance?

Understanding your car insurance's personal accident cover

So, what is personal accident cover on car insurance exactly? It’s a form of cover that’s attached to your car insurance policy, and it may need to be used if you’re involved in a serious car accident and must receive treatment and care.

For example, in the unfortunate event that you suffer a serious or debilitating injury in a collision, you may be covered. If you’re disabled because of this accident (whether this is partially or totally disabled) you may also receive coverage under this. This may be the case whether your injury or disability is classed as temporary, long-term, or even permanent.

Personal injury cover car insurance may go beyond injury in some cases. If you’re tragically killed as a result of a car accident, your personal accident insurance may provide for your family. It usually covers things like funeral costs but isn’t designed to cover supporting dependents for long periods of time – though this could be covered by a life insurance policy.  

When you take out personal accident insurance, you’ll receive a policy document that includes the terms and conditions of your cover. Knowing what your personal accident insurance covers and how much each aspect of the cover is actually worth is important. Your insurance provider may outline specific amounts for each type of injury. It’s a good idea to read through your policy document, or if you're unsure, you may want to contact your provider directly.

What insurance details do you need to give in an accident?

Many people may be unsure of what insurance details they need to give if they’re in an accident in the UK. It doesn't matter whether you plan to claim on your car insurance personal injury cover or not — you'll need to give your name and address and the registration number of your car if you are involved in an accident.

You may give these details to a police officer on the scene, to your insurance company, or to the company providing insurance to another party.

You’ll generally need to report the accident to the police within 24 hours of the incident — unless police officers attended the scene of the accident and took your details there. You'll also need to report the accident to your insurance company, even if you don’t plan to make a claim.

If the accident is your fault, you’d need to claim on your own car insurance. If the accident is not your fault, you may be able to claim on a third party's insurance and keep your no-claims bonus in the process. If there’s any dispute over who’s at fault, further investigation by insurance providers and police may be necessary.

Do you need personal accident cover on car insurance?

Personal accident cover on car insurance isn’t mandatory in the UK, but does tend to be included in most policies. If you're not driving your car, you'll need to register it as off the road with the DVLA. If you have not registered your vehicle as off the road, it’s a minimum requirement that you have third-party cover – cover for a third party who may be injured or suffer other damages because of an accident that was your fault.

As it’s not a legal requirement is personal injury cover for yourself, it's up to you to decide whether or not this cover is worthwhile for you and your situation.

A few tips...

Most of us will hopefully never be involved in a serious car accident, especially one that results in an injury, disability, or even death. If this kind of tragic and unfortunate event does happen, then this is what personal accident cover is for – to provide some financial cover that may pay for treatment, care, rehabilitation, or simply support.

• Personal accident insurance is designed to offer cover if serious injury or death occurs following an accident. If you’re at fault, the cover may be provided by your own insurance; if it’s not your fault, a claim may be made on a third party's insurance.
• Insurance providers may offer specific amounts of coverage for different types of injury following an accident, and all this information should be provided in your policy document.

Urban Jungle is not a financial advisor and information in this article should not be taken as advice or recommendation.