When choosing between home insurance providers we often see an option called accidental damage, but what is it and what does it actually cover? Many companies do not automatically include accidental damage and charge an additional premium for it, so its worth considering whether you need it if you were to damage an expensive household item.
The definition of accidental damage is pretty standard across home insurance policies: damage that occurs suddenly as a result of an unexpected and non-deliberate action. Basically this means an unintentional incident that causes damage to your property or contents such as dropping your laptop of knocking a tv off of its stand. However, general wear and tear to items such as a carpet are not covered, although if you were to spill a drink and stain your carpet this would be covered.
Accidental damage doesn't just apply to contents, it can also be added onto your buildings cover as well. This means if your child kicks a ball through a window or you put a foot through the ceiling when your up in the attic you can make a claim for the damage.
Many accidental damage claims are the result of children or pets damaging your possesions. Damage caused by children is usually covered as standard but double check the smallprint of your policy. However, the majority of home insurance providers will not cover damage caused by pets and your claim will be rejected. Accidental damage will typically add between £20-£100 to your insurance premium, so if you do have young children its definately worth taking out the extra cover.