Personal Accident Benefit
Many fully comprehensive car insurance policies include injury protection for you and your partner, if this injury results from a car accident. However, some will not automatically provide you with this cover, even if they claim to be fully comprehensive. Check whether you are insured for any personal injury costs; dealing with the aftermath of a car accident is difficult enough without the added worry of a large medical bill.
You need to consider whether you require Personal Accident Benefit (PAB), which provides extra cover if you or your spouse or partner are injured in an accident. Usually your partner is only eligible if they live with you and share financial responsibilities; business partners are not included. If you or your partner are accidentally injured while in your car, or while getting into, or out of your car, you may be entitled to claim. Personal Accident Benefit covers you if, within three months of the accident, your injury is the only contributing factor to:
- death
- blindness in one or both eyes
- loss of limb(s)
Most insurers will extend this cover to other private cars, providing they are not owned or hired by you. This means that you can make a claim even if you are travelling, or getting in, or out of, a friend's or relative's car.
Exclusions
PAB is limited by certain exclusions, that is, things for which you are not covered. These are in addition to those specified under your main car insurance's general exclusions. The following rules usually apply:
- No claim can be made where it is a result of suicide or attempted suicide.
- Any claim will be limited, typically to between £2,500 and £5,000 per accident per person, or between £5,000 and £10,000 within any one insurance term. This means that if you have a few accidents before your renewal date, you will only receive a maximum of between £5,000 and £10,000 even if you make multiple claims.
- You may have to be between a certain age range to benefit from PAB: often between 18 and 75.
- If you are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident, you are also not covered.
