6 Situations You Never Knew Personal Accident Insurance Plans Cover

What counts as a ‘personal accident’? You’d be surprised at what insurance companies allow you to claim under their personal accident plans.

If you trip over your shoelaces, fall down the stairs, and break your ankle—and you have a good personal accident insurance plan—the ‘good news’ is that you will be covered. This includes your medical bills, physiotherapy expenses, and even the costs for mobility aids like crutches or wheelchairs.

That is obvious, and you should expect no less from your personal accident insurance plan. But it doesn’t stop there. You see—fortunately for us—the insurance industry takes a very wide definition of the term ‘personal accident’. They allow you to claim for many things under the personal accident umbrella, many of which will leave you scratching your head thinking, “how is THAT a personal accident?”

One thing’s for sure: we’re not complaining. Here are six situations you (probably) never knew personal accident insurance plans could cover.

#1 Damage to electronic devices

So, back to the scenario at the start: you fell down the stairs and shattered your ankle. But not only that, you were also carrying your laptop in one arm while scrolling through Instagram in your other (that may be why you fell down the stairs).

Now, both your laptop and your phone are damaged to the point of needing a total replacement, and you’re stuck in the hospital without any digital entertainment. A true nightmare.

But fret not, because you can claim for the replacement costs under some personal accident insurance plans. A disclaimer though: this coverage only applies if you are hospitalised. So, no, dropping your phone in the toilet bowl doesn’t qualify.

#2 Taxi fares

Now, because of your broken ankle, comes the transport dilemma. Public transport will be a humongous hassle, and might even hamper your recovery. And even if you have a car, you’ll still need someone to drive you around.

Your safest method of transportation is then taxis. But we all know that taxis in Singapore aren’t the cheapest (otherwise the MRT wouldn’t be so crowded). Well, guess what—you can claim for your taxi fares too!

Not forever, of course; most plans limit the taxi claims period to two weeks. But that first two weeks after any serious injury is the most crucial, and a good personal accident insurance plan can take your transport cost worries off your mind so you can focus on recovering.

#3 COVID-19 (and other infectious diseases)

With the latest Delta variant, COVID-19 is the pest (or in this case pandemic) that never goes away. Despite the increased vaccination efforts, those vaccinated can still be infected with COVID-19.

Since 2020, insurers have started to include COVID-19 under the list of infectious diseases that they cover. Do keep in mind, however, that not all personal accident insurance plans offer COVID-19 coverage.

#4 Traditional Chinese Medicine

Let’s say, for some reason, you think the Chinese bonesetter your uncle recommended to you last Chinese New Year will do a better job at fixing your broken ankle than Singapore’s first-world medical system.

That’s your prerogative, and the insurance company will not interfere. In fact, you can claim for that too (as long as they’re legally licensed, of course).

#5 Cancellation of events due to pollution

In October 2015, the Pedestrian Night event on Orchard Road was cancelled due to the haze. The event, organised by the Orchard Road Business Association, would have involved a stretch of the road being closed to accommodate live performances and flash sales, among others. This was no minor event.

In that instance, the event was free to the public, so you would not have lost anything. But what if it was something you had paid for, for instance, an F1 race? Singapore’s 2019 F1 race proceeded despite the haze, but there was a clear risk of cancellation.

If that had happened, and you had the right personal accident insurance plan, you could have claimed the cost of your ticket! Yes, haze doesn’t appear to have anything to do with personal accident, but like we said—we’re not complaining.

#6 Child support

But not the kind of child support one spouse must pay after a divorce, OK? No, this is the kind that is far more serious (and tragic). Basically, this kind of child support benefit—also known as guardian angel benefit—will pay out a lump sum amount to your surviving children if you or your spouse die or are rendered permanently disabled from an accident.

Yes, it is a little dark, and not something you would want to claim for, if possible. But it is something important to consider when evaluating personal accident insurance plans.

As always, terms and conditions apply

You know the refrain when it comes to insurance plans: terms and conditions always apply. And not all insurance plans are created equal, but that’s what SingSaver is here for.

Find the best personal accident plan for yourself today.

Read these next:
4 Reasons Why You Need Personal Accident Insurance If You’re Into Sports
5 Things That Can Void Your Personal Accident Insurance Claims
Infectious Diseases Insurance: Best Plans To Protect Yourself
Personal Accident Insurance Claims: A Simple 4-Step Guide
How Insurers and Banks Are Helping You Survive COVID-19 (Whether Quarantine or Debt)