Accidental occupant insurance: what exactly does it entail?
Accidental occupant insurance is an additional insurance you can take out with a car insurance policy. With accident passenger insurance, not only are you yourself, but any passengers are also insured. Suppose you are traveling with a passenger and suffer a serious accident. If one of you becomes permanently disabled or perhaps even dies, accident passenger insurance pays a fixed amount to the injured party or next of kin. You agree on the amount of this sum when you take out the insurance.
You hope never to need it, but it may be wise to take out accident insurance. If something happens to you or a passenger, you can be sure that you will be compensated immediately. You do not have to wait long, because with this insurance it is not important who is responsible for the accident. Even in an accident where there is no guilty party, such as a collision with an animal, the insurer will pay the compensation.
What does accident passenger insurance cover?
An accidental occupant insurance pays fixed amounts in the event of death or permanent disability of the driver and/or passengers. The amounts are agreed in advance in the policy and there is no relation between the amount paid and the actual damage suffered. The cover applies when the passengers are in the car, but also, for example, when they are getting in and out of the car or carrying out emergency repairs en route. Material damage is not covered by the accident passenger insurance. For this you can take out a damage insurance for passengers.
Is the benefit independent of fault?
With the accident passenger insurance, it does not matter who is at fault for the accident. When one of the passengers dies or becomes permanently disabled, a payment is made. Especially when the other party can no longer be traced, this is desirable. If you have not taken out this cover and the other party is unknown, you will not receive any payment if the other party is at fault.
If the driver is guilty of the accident, the passengers still have the possibility to hold the third party insurance of the vehicle liable and recover any damages from it. However, when the question of guilt is unclear, this can be a long process that can be avoided by taking out an accident passenger insurance.
Explanation of Occupant Accident Insurance (OI)
Suppose you are involved in an accident as the driver of a car.
The occupants of the car become permanently disabled. Or even die.
Coverage:
The accident insurance for passengers pays a fixed amount (mentioned in the policy) to the passenger(s) or next of kin after an accident:
- In the event of death, the (fixed and pre-agreed) amount included in the policy is paid out in full.
- If the passenger becomes totally disabled, the amount of the policy will be paid in full.
- In case of partial disablement, the insurer pays a percentage (determined by an expert and on the basis of the Gliedertaxe)
- In and around the vehicle: The insurance coverage applies when the occupants are in the car, as well as while getting in and out, and for example while performing emergency repairs on the road. The policy terms will tell you exactly what is covered.
- The driver is also insured!
- The insurer does not look at how much damage a person has suffered, so there is no connection between the amount paid and the damage actually suffered.
- In the case of passenger accident insurance, the number of seats specified is important.
- It does not matter whether the driver is liable for the accident.
No coverage:
- If the driver does not have a valid driving licence;
- If the driver was under the influence of (too much) alcohol or drugs;
- If participating in a race or other speed event;
- If a private car was used as a taxi;
- For psychological injury
If there are more passengers in the vehicle than are insured, the underinsurance rule is applied: Insured number of seats divided by the number of occupants times the sum insured.
What is the Gliedertaxe
The Gliedertaxe is an overview that is included in the policy of a passenger accident insurance. This overview contains a list of senses and body parts. Behind each enumeration, a percentage is mentioned by a doctor or specialist. This percentage indicates to what extent the person is (with regard to that specific part) permanently disabled.
What is the Difference between accident passenger insurance and passenger indemnity insurance?
In addition to passenger accident insurance, you can also take out passenger indemnity insurance. These two insurances may look similar, but they are very different and can be taken out in addition to each other.
Accident passenger insurance is a sum insurance. Sum insurance means that the payment is based on predetermined amounts. If a car occupant becomes permanently disabled or dies as a result of an accident, compensation is paid. This is a predetermined amount, the insurance does not compensate the full damage.
The passenger indemnity insurance is a damage insurance. With this insurance, the actual damage suffered is reimbursed, not just a fixed amount. As with the accident passenger insurance, the insurer pays out regardless of who is to blame for the accident. Click here to see the differences between the accidental occupant insurance and the accidental occupant insurance.
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