Personal cover · Choosing a plan
How to Choose Personal Accident Cover (and What to Look For)
Personal accident plans look alike on a brochure and behave very differently in a claim. Here are the five things that actually decide whether a policy is worth having.
- Size the sum insured to your income, not to a round number.
- Make sure it covers partial and temporary disability, not only death.
- Check the disability scale, the exclusions, and whether cover is 24x7 and worldwide.
In short: choosing personal accident cover well is less about the brand and more about five things: the sum insured, the disability scale, the exclusions, whether cover is round the clock, and whether you can add family.
Start with the sum insured
The sum insured should reflect the income and commitments an accident would put at risk, so that death or permanent disability does not undo your family's finances. A common way to think about it is several years of income, though the right figure is personal. The logic matters more than any single number.
Check what disabilities it actually pays for
A policy that only pays on death or total disability misses most real accident outcomes. Look for permanent partial and temporary total disability, and read the scale that sets how much a partial loss pays. This is where cheap cover and real cover part ways.
Read the exclusions and the fine print
Exclusions like intoxication, hazardous activity, self inflicted injury and pre existing disablement decide what you are really buying. Read them before you buy, not at claim time. A policy that explains its exclusions clearly is doing you a favour.
Look at cover hours, geography and riders
Confirm the cover is 24 hours and worldwide for death and permanent disability, since accidents ignore office hours. Then weigh riders like accident medical, hospital cash or education benefit against what you actually need, rather than taking every add on offered.
Single or family cover
Decide whether one plan covering your family or separate individual policies fits better. Neither is automatically right; it depends on who depends on your income and how you want the cover structured.
The best accident policy is the one whose wording you have actually read.
Common questions
What sum insured should I choose?
Enough that death or permanent disability would not undo your family's finances. Many people think in terms of several years of income; the right figure is personal.
Are all personal accident plans the same?
No. They differ most on the disability scale, the exclusions, and the riders, which is exactly where to compare them.
Should I add my family to the policy?
You can, and sometimes one family plan is simpler than separate policies. It depends on who relies on your income.
What happens when you talk to us
A 20-minute video call with a Growth Advisor — no obligation, and no quote pushed. It opens with a five-minute video from our founder on how the benefits stack works and why Ethika exists; the rest is your questions. You'll leave with an honest read on your current cover and claims experience, and a straight answer on whether we can genuinely help — even if you never become a client.
20 minutes with a Growth Advisor. No obligation.
A note on this page. Everything here is general information, not insurance, legal, financial or tax advice, and nothing is an offer. For advice about your situation, talk to us.