Do Life Insurance Policies Pay More for Accidental Deaths?

All life insurance policies will pay their stated death benefit amount in the case of death of the insured person resulting from an accident

However, if you have elected to purchase an Accidental Death Rider, the life insurance policy will pay more than the death benefit, sometimes double or triple the amount of your life insurance coverage amount. This is sometimes referred to as “Double Indemnity” life insurance coverage. Request a free life insurance quote.

These accidental death riders are also sometimes sold as separate life insurance polices known as Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance or AD&D.

For the purpose of such life insurance riders or AD&D insurance polices, an accidental death is defined as a death that is neither intentionally caused by a human being, such as a homicide or suicide, nor the result of natural causes such as heart disease or cancer.

There are usually other limitations on accidental death benefits, including but not limited to death during a surgical procedure, or from a bacterial infection, hernia, or an overdose of drugs.

In addition, most accidental death policies or riders do not cover high risk activities such as skydiving, auto racing, or acts of war. And, you may need to die within 6 months (usually) of the accident in order for the accidental death to be covered by the insurance policy.

Learn more about accidental death insurance policies