Personal Accident
Insurance

What is a personal accident cover?

Personal accident insurance provides financial protection in case of an accident that results in permanent disablement or the death of the policyholder. If that disablement leaves you unable to continue working in your profession, the lump sum can also help with the costs of retraining or moving into alternative work.

This cover addresses a risk that most standard business insurance doesn't — the risk of being permanently unable to work due to an accident. These bodily injuries are loss of sight, loss of hearing, loss of limb (or total use of) or loss of speech which lasts continuously for 12 (twelve) calendar months. In the event of accidental death, a lump sum payment may be made under the policy, helping to ease the financial impact on those around you.

Exclusions Apply:

• Does not cover injuries from deliberate actions, substance abuse, natural causes, military service, or dangerous activities.
• Age Restrictions: Coverage is not available for individuals under 16 or over 65 years old.

Do I need personal accident insurance?

It is natural to wonder, "Do I need personal accident cover?" If you are self-employed or your income depends entirely on your ability to practise your trade, this cover is worth considering. Unlike a standalone income protection policy, it provides a one-off lump sum rather than ongoing payments — but for many self-employed professionals, it offers a meaningful financial safety net at a fraction of the cost.

The same applies if you run a business with partners — an accident that puts a key person out of action permanently can have a serious impact on the whole operation.

If your work provides yourself and your family with an income then you need to consider what you would do if you were no longer able to work in the field in which you are currently trained, experienced and successful. You may need to spend time re-training, perhaps have to seek employment at a lower income level or may not be able to work at all.

In this difficult situation, this insurance will ease the financial pain and stress, easing the way forward for you and/or your family.

Westminster Insurance personal accident cover can extend to owners, directors, partners, managers and employees — up to three people on the same policy. You choose one cover level when you add Personal Accident, and that same level applies to each insured person.

Jargon busting: understanding personal accident cover

Abbreviated information for guidance only – subject always to the full Policy Wording.

Insurance terminology can be off-putting, so here are the most important terms you should understand, in simple words:

• Accidental bodily injury: Means an identifiable physical injury which is caused by a sudden, unexpected, specific event occurring at an identifiable time and place.
• Disablement: means loss of sight, loss of hearing, loss of limb or loss of speech which:
  • a) prevents you from performing the duties of any occupation for which you are qualified by reason of your education, training or experience; and
  • b) lasts continuously for twelve (12) calendar months; and
  • c) at the end of twelve (12) calendar months is without prospect of improvement.
• Insured person: Means you and your directors, partners, managers, officers and the employees of your business, or their personal legal representatives.
• Loss of hearing: Means total loss of hearing in one or both ears
• Loss of limb: Means loss by physical separation of an arm or hand at or above the wrist, or of a foot or leg at or above the ankle, or total loss of use of a complete arm, hand, foot or leg.
• Loss of sight: Means total loss of sight in one or both eyes.
• Loss of speech: means total loss of speech.
• Premium: This is the cost of your cover.
• Benefit: The lump sum payment made under the policy if a valid claim is paid.
• Cover level: The amount of cover you choose when taking out the policy (£25,000, £50,000 or £100,000), which determines the benefit paid if a valid claim is accepted.

Knowing what these terms mean puts you in a better position to choose the right level of cover and understand your policy from day one.

What is covered by personal accident insurance?

Personal accident cover in the UK usually spans a set of specific events and outcomes. Once added to your Westminster business insurance policy for an additional premium, the following are included:

• Permanent disablement — total loss of sight, hearing, limb or speech, where the accidental bodily injury is the sole cause, the loss prevents you from performing the duties of any occupation you're qualified for, lasts continuously for 12 months and is without prospect of improvement
• Death benefit, where an accidental bodily injury is the sole cause of death within 12 months of the accident
• Any post-mortem examination the insurer requires in the event of death — carried out at the insurer's expense
• Any medical examination the insurer requires in the event of disablement — at the insurer's expense

Since the policy offers three cover levels, there's always room to customise your cover. For instance, if you know the unique dangers of your profession or the personal level of risk exposure, you can choose the personal accident cover that best suits your circumstances. You choose one cover level and it applies to every insured person on the policy — up to three people.

What specific accidents are covered?

Strictly speaking, personal accident cover applies to accidents that result in death or one of the specified losses above — loss of sight, hearing, limb or speech. It could be due to instances such as:

• Road accidents
• Workplace incidents
• Accidental falls or impacts outside of excluded activities.

However, not every situation qualifies for personal accident cover. If an insured person gets injured because of dangerous or illegal activities, substance abuse, or self-harm, the policy won't pay a claim. For a full list of exclusions, refer to the policy documents or the section below.

What is not covered by personal accident insurance?

Personal accident cover does not apply in every situation. Claims will not be valid where death or disablement arises from:

• A physical condition, defect or illness known at the start of the policy
• Illness or natural causes
• Being under the influence of drink or drugs, unless prescribed by your doctor and taken as directed
• Alcoholism or other alcohol-related illnesses, drug addiction or solvent abuse
• Deliberate self-harm, suicide or attempted suicide
• Criminal acts
• Any emotional or psychiatric disorder or condition
• Armed forces activities, including operations, exercises or training
• Flying as a pilot or aircrew, or any other aerial activity — travelling as a passenger on a commercial airline is fine
• Self-exposure to needless danger, unless you were trying to save someone's life
• Specific sports and activities, including professional sport, martial arts, winter sports and others
• Pregnancy or childbirth, except for unexpected medical complications
• An injury that results only in the inability to take part in sports or pastimes
• Injuries to anyone under 16 or over 65 at the start of the policy period

Always read the full policy wording to understand the complete list of exclusions before purchasing cover. Interest is not payable on any benefit under this policy, and cover is subject to the policy terms, conditions and exclusions.

How much will it cost?

The cost for Personal Accident cover is as little as £35 per year or £2.92 per month plus tax, which is a minimal amount for the compensation offered.

You are also able to choose the cover level to suit your needs:

What's the process?

Buying a new policy

Getting a quote, or multiple quotes, and buying insurance from Westminster couldn’t be quicker or easier. You can have your policy up and running in minutes. All online, you can do it whenever suits you best and be in control of the whole process, but if you have any questions, we are very happy to hear from you.

Remember, this cover is only available as an additional option on our Professional Indemnity, Public Liability and Medical Malpractice policies.

1. Click on the 'Get a Quote' button.
2. Choose to include the Personal Accident option.
3. See the quote straight away on screen, and you can either save it for later or continue on to purchase.
4. Once the payment is processed, the policy documents are immediately emailed to you.

Adding it to an existing policy

1. Simply login to edit your policy online
2. Add the desired coverage
3. Confirm the change
4. Make payment

Please note that you cannot make changes to the policy during the renewal period which starts 6 weeks prior to expiry. If you need to make a change during this time please contact us on 01305 839939.

How to claim on personal accident insurance

It takes a few simple steps to claim personal accident cover in the UK:

• Notify us: With Westminster Insurance Ltd, you can submit a claim easily with your online account. The key here is prompt notification and detailed information.
• Provide available information: Share the key dates, sequence of events, copies of letters and other correspondence. If you have additional evidence, such as police reports, photos from the accident, and medical records, add these files, too.
• Wait for assessment: We'll review your claim and pass it straight to our claims handlers, Crawfords, who investigate and assess it. How long this takes depends on the complexity of the case.

Submitting your accidental injury claim promptly and providing as much detail as possible from the outset will help the process move forward as smoothly as possible.

Steps to take after an accident

You cannot eliminate the whole stress of the accident, but you can at least decrease it:

• Seek medical attention: A timely check-up can help to rule out the possibility of a serious injury and create a necessary paper trail to support your claim.
• Notify Westminster: Let the team know what happened, when, and how. Don't delay — prompt notification helps the process move forward.
• Gather paperwork: You should collect any physical or digital proof of the accident and its impact. If new evidence comes to light later, share it with Westminster's claims team as soon as possible.

Accidents happen when you expect them the least. However, the right cover in place means you won't have to face the financial impact of a serious accident alone.