What is Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance (AD&D)?

Would your ability to earn a paycheck be impacted if you were to suddenly lose your speech, hearing, or a limb? Would your family experience financial difficulty if you lost your life in an accident?

If the answer to either question is ‘yes,’ you may benefit from Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance coverage. AD&D insurance is designed to help you and your family meet the financial challenges that come with experiencing a life-altering accident.

Keeping You Covered

A life-changing accident can happen at any time. And according to the CDC, accidents are the third-leading cause of death in the United States – claiming more than 167,000 lives in 2018 alone.

AD&D insurance is similar to life insurance in that it pays a benefit to your beneficiary(ies) if your death is the result of a covered accident. But unlike life insurance, an AD&D insurance policy can also pay a benefit to you if you experience a serious injury resulting in the loss of a limb, a hand, foot, sight in one eye, speech, or hearing, among others.

happy family in car protected by AD&D insurance

The Unsuspecting Reason Why AD&D May Be For You

No one wants to think about their death, and for young professionals just starting their careers and families, the idea of contemplating the unimaginable can be even more unsettling. You are just getting on your feet and the last thing you are prepared to start thinking about are things such as life insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance. But instead of dwelling on the complicated process of obtaining life insurance, is it possible that AD&D insurance may be the first and easiest step in protecting your loved ones should something happen to you?

Know Your Odds

According to a 2015 report issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), if you are between the ages of 18 and 44 you are most likely to die in some sort of accident or “unintentional injury” rather than due to disease or congenital anomalies. Eating right, exercising often, and leading an overall healthy lifestyle may be a great way to guard yourself against health issues such as heart disease but when it comes to preventing debilitating accidents, these things have no effect on chance.

Of all accidents, car accidents are the most common with an estimated 1.3 million deaths a year, averaging out to 3,287 deaths per day with an additional twenty to fifty million people becoming injured or disabled every year according to the Association For Safe International Road Travel.

How AD&D Insurance Can Help Protect Your Loved Ones

For those involved in serious accidents, recovery time can take anywhere from days to months, or even longer depending on the severity of the injury. Could you afford to be out of work for an extended period of time? If you were injured so severely that you required an amputation, forever altering your lifestyle, as well as potential job prospects, could you afford to be out of a job while recovering and retraining your muscles as well as your mind? And if the worst should happen, could your family sustain themselves without the aid of your income?

This is where the importance of Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance comes in to play. No one ever plans for an accident to occur, but what if there were a way that you could? According to the 2012 Life Happens Disability Survey, approximately half of all Americans wouldn’t be able to cover their own expenses after just a single month without receiving a paycheck.

Statistics like these can be scary but they don’t need to be. AD&D insurance could help in the face of uncertainty. Your family’s welfare is important and with AD&D insurance, you can help to safeguard your family’s financial security in the event you are no longer able to provide for them should you experience a debilitating or fatal accident.

Learn More About AD&D Insurance

While the two can sometimes be purchased together, it is important to understand that AD&D insurance is not Term Life insurance. AD&D typically does not issue a payout on your policy in the event you pass due to a terminal illness; AD&D insurance will, in most cases, issue a payout should you fall victim to a serious accident resulting in the loss of limb, senses, or life.