Travel Insurance for Accidental Death

There is always a certain amount of risk to our personal well-being when traveling abroad. The hard truth is that fatal accidents can and do happen from time to time, no matter the destination. Travelers planning to leave their home country for work or pleasure purposes, for any length of time, ought to consider investing in accidental death coverage to supplement the areas where their national health insurance plan falls short.

An insurance policy for accidental death hands out a lump sum payment to the insured’s named beneficiary should the insured succumb to a sudden accident during a trip out of country. Purchasing supplemental accidental death travel insurance can be an essential line of financial protection for your loved ones.

Have coverage, will travel

Basically, accidental death travel insurance provides an important degree of coverage where it is needed the most: in unfamiliar territory. Although not probable, dire circumstances on any given trip are plausible; for instance, buses can crash; a passenger boat or ferry can capsize; a subway train can roll off its tracks or collide with another. In the worst case scenario, that vital layer of security could at least help ease some of the financial burden of the next of kin (or other beneficiary) as they deal with the emotional aspects of death.

The incremental compensation amounts typically vary from one insurance company to the next, but many will offer accidental death packages with as much as a million-dollar payout. The majority of policies automatically insure children who are under 18 years of age for no extra charge when accompanied by a parent or guardian of said policy. Usually, both single and multiple trip options are available.

A number of companies supply comprehensive accidental death coverage. This “all-encompassing” type of insurance provides death benefits for just about every possible scenario out there. However, coverage for certain extreme sports considered to be high-risk activities may be excluded from the policy and only available at an additional cost.

Certain Eligibility Exclusions

The beneficiary of an accidental death travel insurance plan will likely be denied benefits if the policyholder’s fatal circumstances meet any of the following criteria:

The insured perishes in flight or during any other sort of airborne activity, unless travelling as a passenger aboard a valid commercial plane.
The death is confirmed as deliberate suicide or self-induced trauma, regardless of the insured’s state of mind (sane or insane).
The incident that caused death proves to be related to natural causes (i.e. underlying health condition, illness, mental or physical ailment).
The fatality occurs while the insured is impaired due to narcotics of any kind, except in situations where the drug is doctor-prescribed and used as directed.
The death results while the insured’s blood alcohol level is in excess of an allowed concentration limit.
The insured perishes while willingly ingesting or inhaling any type of poison or lethal gas.
The insured is the victim of a developing war, riot outbreak, or any other civil upheaval.

Purchase Outlets

Before rushing out to buy a travel insurance policy covering accidental death, travelers looking to cross international borders should consider the following options:

Inquire about the possible addition of a specific clause to an existing life or health insurance plan.
Check several companies online who specialize in supplemental travel insurance and offer accidental death benefits.
Examine a basic streamlined plan made available through certain vacation booking agencies and airport kiosks; however, buyer beware - there may be more risk than reward in the fine print.