Protecting yourself against accidents

We also help people living with well-managed HIV or diabetes get Accident Insurance for Income Protection, Accident TPD and Accident Life Insurance.

Accidents happen – it's not hard to see that's part of life

What you may not know is that most accidents usually take place in and around the home while people are going about their everyday tasks.

A weekend of DIY and cleaning roof gutters while standing on a shaky ladder (or the green plastic council wheelie bin) can end in an accident.

• While you may recover physically, you may not recover financially.

This is because we all need time to recover, maybe rehabilitate and continue to pay the bills all at the same time.  This type of situation can be even more challenging for people who already have pre-existing medical conditions like HIV or diabetes.

Sometimes the next best thing becomes the best thing

If a pre-existing medical condition prevents you from getting a standard personal insurance policy an Accident Insurance policy can be a reassuring alternative. It doesn't require a medical assessment so if you have a particular health condition or if standard policies are overly expensive or unavailable to people in your line of work, sometimes the next best thing becomes the best thing available.

• Accident Income Protection cover pays an ongoing monthly payment if you are totally or partially disabled as a result of an accident and unable to work.
• Accidental Death Protection pays a lump sum of money if you die as a result of an accident.
• Accident TPD pays a lump sum of money if you are totally and permanently disabled as a result of an accident and unlikely to ever work again.

All of these Accident Insurance solutions can also be paid from your superannuation fund if you want.

Examples where an Accident Insurance policy came to the rescue

1. A pedestrian was knocked over by a city bicycle courier while crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing. The pedestrian broke his arm and left eye socket and subsequently was off work until he recovered.
2. A courier while at his local gym had a weight dropped on his foot and sustained a serious break. Because he couldn't use the pedals in his delivery van, he was unable to work until he recovered.
3. Sports accidents, Work accidents, Car accidents, DIY accidents (they’re more common than people admit to) can all benefit from Accident Insurance.

Accident cover for people with pre-existing conditions

For people with pre-existing medical conditions, if an accident happens, it’s important to understand that if your pre-existing condition caused or contributed to the accident, that is not usually covered in the scope of such a policy.

Accident means accident

It's important to understand how this works so browse through the examples below.

• If your eyesight is fading due to pre-existing glaucoma and you slipped because you couldn't see the stairs due to your pre-existing medical condition, this may not be considered an accident – accident means accident.
• If you have a pre-existing knee injury and your knee gives way while you’re carrying a heavy case upstairs and you fall - this may not be considered an accident – accident means accident.
• If you have a pre-existing medical condition and the new medications make you sick and you need to take time off work to recover, this is not considered an accident – accident means accident.

When you understand your options you can see how they can be part of your personal backup plan.

Accident Only Income Protection and Accident Only TPD can provide a cushion of protection if you suffer an accident that either stops you being able to work in your current job, or even worst, if you are left temporarily or permanently disabled and unable to ever return to work because of the accident.

Want to know more? Click here to browse through our FAQ's.