We face household accidents regularly, but that’s not to say they aren’t annoying to deal with when they happen. Many of us prefer to protect our assets and valuables just in case and while that won’t stop things getting broken, it does help during the aftermath, but what does Accidental Damage Insurance actually involve?

What is accidental damage?
Accidental damage is caused suddenly and unexpectedly by an outside force. It’s different from damage caused by wear and tear or a breakdown. You can add accidental damage cover to either your contents insurance or to your building’s insurance.

What’s likely to be covered:

• Adding accidental damage cover to your building’s insurance will protect you, for instance, if something falls off a shelf and cracks your bathroom sink. Or if a football smashes your window.
• Accidents like knocking a TV over or cracking your glass coffee table are covered if you’ve added accidental damage cover to your content’s insurance.

What’s usually not covered:

• Accidental damage protection won’t cover you if, for example, your computer crashes because it’s very old.
• Portable electronics and clothes are often excluded from contents insurance accidental damage policies, so check with your insurer.
• Damage caused by animals, like a pet chewing your furniture, isn’t usually covered.
• Poor workmanship or design wouldn’t be covered as part of your building’s insurance accidental damage cover.
• With accidental damage cover you can only claim for damage to your house or garden, as part of your building’s insurance. Or items inside your house or garden, as part of your content’s insurance.

Items away from your home aren’t protected. For example, if you drop your laptop while walking down the street, this wouldn’t be covered by accidental damage. However, you can protect your belongings while they’re away from your home by adding personal belongings cover. Remember to check the details of the cover before adding it to your policy.

Do I need accidental damage cover?
That’s up to you. Accidental damage cover is an optional extra you can add to your home insurance policy. You may prefer to cover the cost of any accidents or breakages yourself. However, if you can’t do that, it’s worth considering.