The truth be told, no-one ever expects a permanent disability, though life-changing events can happen in the blink of an eye.
Take for example Peter who was working on his holiday home. He had been brick veneering his fibro house and was cleaning the brickwork with acid when he slipped and fell off his ladder.
It wasn't the fall that was the major trouble, it was the bucket of diluted acid that followed him off the ladder and splashed into his eyes.
The ambulance took over an hour to get to him and despite Peter thoroughly flushing his eyes with water, he lost over 90% of his vision in both eyes.
Peter now has the help of a Guide Dog, though he can never work as a builder again but thankfully he had a significant payout from his permanent disability insurance of $500,000 which enabled him to make the adjustments in life he needed.
Permanent disability can occur through accident or injury.
In Australia, injury is the principal cause of death in people under 45 years of age, and a leading cause of mortality, morbidity and permanent disability.
A permanent disability could leave you without the ability to work, or severely impair your ability to work, resulting in significant loss in income.
Common permanent disabilities include;
- Quadriplegia
- Paraplegia
- Hemiplegia
- Blindness
- Deafness
- Total and Permanent Loss of Use of Two Limbs
If these disabilities occur as a result of performing your work duties, you are likely to be covered to a certain extent through workers compensation. However, the extent of workers compensation cover may not be enough to cover your income and expenses for you and your dependents for the rest of your life. It is also important to consider the fact that injuries occur which are non-work related and do not qualify for workers compensation cover.
It is important to factor in the cost of a permanent disability and how you would cope if something were to happen to you. In addition to general living expenses, many people who incur a permanent disability may have significant medical bills and other costs to consider, such as modifying their homes and transport to accommodate for their disability.
Different life insurance policies offer different levels of financial protection. In addition to cover for if you pass away, some Life Insurance policies offer optional benefits such as Total and Permanent Disability Insurance (TPD) which can be added to the life cover. You can find out more in Choosi’s life insurance FAQs.
Choosi lets you compare, choose, and apply for life insurance from a range of providers all in one place, helping you weigh up the things you need to know in just a few minutes. Compare life insurance policies with Choosi.
Posted: 06 Jul 2012