Accidental death cover
Cheap for a reason. It excludes most of the ways people actually die.
Accidental death cover pays only if death results from an accident as the policy defines it. Illness is not covered at all.
It's inexpensive, and the price reflects how narrow it is.
The gap in one sentence
Most deaths are from illness rather than accident, and that proportion rises sharply with age.
So a household protected only by accidental death cover is protected against a minority of the scenarios it's worried about — and the least likely ones at the ages when a mortgage is usually still outstanding.
What the definitions do
Policies define accidental death precisely, and commonly exclude or limit a substantial list of circumstances.
- Death occurring beyond a stated period after the accident
- Anything involving alcohol or drugs, including prescribed medication in some contracts
- Aviation other than as a fare-paying passenger
- Hazardous activities and specified sports
- Death where a medical condition contributed
- Self-inflicted injury
Where it genuinely fits
- As a supplement on top of proper life insurance, where it costs little
- As a stopgap while life insurance is being underwritten
- Where health rules out other coverage entirely and this is what's available
- As an employer-provided benefit you didn't pay for, which is worth having
Where it doesn't
As a substitute for life insurance. A family relying on it has coverage that fails in the most likely circumstances.
Be particularly careful of stacked accidental death policies presented as adding up to meaningful protection. Several policies covering the same narrow risk is still narrow coverage.
Before buying one
- Confirm you can't get ordinary life insurance first
- Read the definition of accidental death and the exclusions list
- Check whether death must occur within a stated period after the accident
- Check whether it's payable in addition to, or instead of, other coverage
- Compare the premium against term life for the same amount — often it's closer than expected
Common questions
No. It pays only if death results from an accident as the policy defines it, and illness isn't covered at all — which excludes most of the ways people actually die.
Because it covers a narrow slice of the risk, with definitions and exclusions that narrow it further. The price reflects the coverage.
Not as a substitute for life insurance. As a supplement on top of proper coverage, or as a stopgap while life insurance is underwritten, it has a place.
Want this priced for your situation?
This page is general information, not advice about your specific circumstances. A licensed insurance professional can tell you what’s actually available to you.
General information only, not insurance advice. Coverage, availability, and terms vary by insurer and by state, and are subject to underwriting. Quote My Policy LLC is a licensed insurance producer. Nothing here binds coverage.