Supplemental auto insurance can be helpful. Because who pulls out the wallet if someone has broken a bone or suffers from whiplash? Who pays for a lawyer if disagreements are settled in court after a collision?
Most motorists only know three types of car insurance: WA, WA+, and all-risk. However, these only cover material damage to cars. But that doesn’t always cover everything. There is often immaterial damage, for example when someone is injured. Car insurers offer supplementary insurance for those costs. “On average, it costs five euros per month, per supplement,” says Menno Dijcks, car insurance expert at comparison site Independer.
Driver and passenger injuries covered
Such extra insurance may seem attractive due to the low costs, but sometimes the coverage with an insurance that you already have is doubled. If you are well informed, you will save money. With a damage insurance for occupants (SVI) you as a driver are insured after an accident for damage to clothing or other belongings of yourself and any passengers after a collision. This additional policy also covers the cost of driver and passenger injuries. This applies even if the driver is at fault for the accident.
A driver who is injured can also recover medical costs from health insurance. Passengers with injuries or damage to their property can make a claim with the driver’s liability insurance. So why is an SVI useful as a supplement? “The coverage of an SVI comes on top of that of the health insurer,” says Dijcks van Independer. “So you receive an extra compensation in the event of injury or other damage. As needed”.’
Useful for driver himself
The Consumers’ Association also believes that it is good to think about passenger insurance. “Many damages can be claimed on the third-party liability insurance of the person who caused the accident,” said spokesman Gerard Kroon. And necessary medical costs are covered by health insurance, both for the driver and passengers. But if you cause an accident yourself as a driver, damage to luggage and financial compensation in the event of permanent disability and loss of income, for example, are not covered. Not even through a full hull – all-risk – car insurance. The passenger cover is also useful if no culprit can be identified, because in such cases the third-party liability insurance does not pay out anything.”
Accident-passenger insurance not always necessary
A comparable, less extensive and therefore cheaper supplement is accident-passenger insurance (OVI). This pays out a fixed amount if the driver or a passenger dies in an accident or becomes permanently disabled. Independer does recommend that you opt for passenger accident insurance, but not for accident passenger cover. ,,An SVI is especially important for the driver himself’, explains Dijcks. “After all, in principle, every passenger can hold the driver liable for damage, which is paid from the driver’s liability insurance.”
Sometimes a claim form and some photos are not enough to clarify who is to blame in a collision. Legal assistance insurance for motor vehicles reimburses legal assistance in the event of conflicts surrounding your car. This supplement to the car insurance covers the costs if a lawyer is needed to defend your innocence or hold the other party liable. The preparation of a professional damage calculation is also reimbursed.
Legal help
Do you get into a heated argument with your garage, or is there a threat of prosecution after a traffic violation? This additional policy also covers the costs of legal advice. This supplement is often double for those who already have general legal assistance insurance with traffic cover. Such a policy does not only cover legal assistance in the event of conflicts that you find yourself in as a motorist, but also as a pedestrian, cyclist and driver of a motorcycle.
A special kind of supplement to the car insurance is the recovery legal assistance insurance. This only reimburses legal assistance in recovering (injury) damage from the opposing party. “It is very difficult to estimate the chance that you will incur damage through no fault of your own,” says Menno Dijcks of Independer. “This supplement is therefore best recommended for people who travel a lot. After all, the risk of damage is the highest for them.”
No-claim protector
This supplement is a “Get Out of Jail Free” card. You can use it to claim damage from your insurer once a year, without this leading to a premium increase. “This protection only applies with your current insurer,” says insurance expert Dijcks van Independer. “When you make a claim, you do lose claim-free years. Switching to another provider can therefore still mean a premium increase.” The price of a no-claim protector at Allianz, Centraal Beheer and FBTO depends on the cover and the age of the insured. De Goudse adds twenty percent on top of the premium. Other insurers work with a fixed surcharge per month for the protector, on average about ten euros.
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