Accidental Death Insurance

Accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance is a supplemental life insurance policy that pays a tax-free lump sum if the insured dies in a covered accident, or a partial benefit if the insured suffers a specified dismemberment (loss of limb, sight, hearing, etc.). AD&D does not pay for death by natural causes, illness, suicide, or self-inflicted injury.

AD&D premiums are very low compared to traditional life insurance because the insured event (accidental death or dismemberment) is statistically rare. A healthy 35-year-old buying $100,000 of standalone AD&D might pay $5 to $10 per month, compared to $15 to $25 per month for $100,000 of traditional 20-year level term. AD&D rates do not vary by health, but they do vary by occupation.

AD&D covers death by accident (car accidents, plane crashes, drowning, falls, accidental poisoning) and specified dismemberments (loss of limb, eyesight, hearing, or speech). Each carrier has its own definition of "accident" and its own table of dismemberment benefits. Some policies include common-carrier benefits (2x to 5x the face amount for accidents on commercial planes, trains, or buses) and education benefits for dependent children.

AD&D does NOT cover death by natural causes, illness, heart attack, stroke, cancer, suicide (typically within the first 2 years), self-inflicted injury, drug overdose, drunk driving, war, criminal activity, hazardous hobbies (skydiving, scuba diving past certain depths, mountaineering), or commercial aviation if the insured is the pilot. Always read the exclusions before buying.

AD&D is worth it as a low-cost supplement to a primary life insurance policy, not as a replacement. According to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the CDC WISQARS injury data</a>, accidents are the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. but account for only about 8 percent of deaths overall. The vast majority of life insurance claims pay out for natural causes, which AD&D does not cover. AD&D is a useful supplement for people with occupations or hobbies that elevate accident risk.

Traditional life insurance pays the death benefit regardless of cause (natural causes, illness, or accident). AD&D pays only for accidental death or dismemberment. Traditional life is more comprehensive and more expensive; AD&D is narrower and cheaper. The right approach for most buyers is to start with traditional life insurance for primary protection and add AD&D as a low-cost supplement if you have heightened accident risk.

Yes. Most AD&D policies have no medical exam and minimal underwriting (just basic age, occupation, and hobby questions). Approval typically returns in minutes for ages 18 to 70. Coverage amounts are capped at $500,000 or less on most standalone AD&D policies, with higher amounts available only through employer group plans.

Many employer group benefit plans bundle a basic AD&D benefit at 1x annual salary alongside the basic life benefit. Employees can typically buy up additional voluntary AD&D up to 5x salary at group rates. The trade-off is that employer AD&D ends when you leave the employer. For portable protection that stays with you across jobs, an individual AD&D policy or a term life policy with AD&D rider is the better choice.

A common carrier benefit doubles or quadruples the AD&D face amount if the accidental death occurs while the insured is a fare-paying passenger on a commercial plane, train, bus, taxi, or rideshare. For example, Assurity offers a 4x common-carrier benefit, meaning a $100,000 AD&D policy would pay $400,000 if the insured dies in a commercial-transit accident. This is a useful benefit for frequent business travelers.

No. AD&D explicitly excludes death by suicide or self-inflicted injury. Traditional life insurance generally covers suicide after the policy has been in force for 2 years (the standard "suicide clause"), but AD&D never does. According to <a href="https://www.iii.org/article/life-insurance-basics" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the Insurance Information Institute</a>, this is one of several material differences between AD&D and traditional life insurance.

Yes. Many family AD&D policies include riders for spouse and dependent children. The dependent child benefit is typically 10 percent to 25 percent of the primary insured's face amount, capped at $10,000 to $25,000 per child. Some carriers also offer dependent-child education benefits that pay an additional amount toward post-secondary education if the primary insured dies in a covered accident.

The best AD&D carrier depends on use case. For standalone portable AD&D: Corebridge AccidentalAssure (up to $500K) or Mutual of Omaha AccidentSecure (with family riders). For AD&D as a rider on a term life policy: Foresters Strong Foundation Term plus AD&D rider, or Assurity term plus AD&D rider (with the 4x common-carrier benefit for frequent travelers). For employer group AD&D: typically through the workplace benefit plan.