AD D or life insurance: Which policy will pay?

If you were to die tomorrow, would your family be able to move forward without financial difficulties? For many people who are the main wage earner of a family, the answer is no. That is why you may have insurance to help cover your lost income in the event of an incident that causes your death. Two options many people consider are life insurance and accidental death & dismemberment insurance.

Nerdwallet explains these two types of insurance are quite different in terms of what they will cover and when they will payout. There are a few situations where the coverage may overlap, but more often than not, you could benefit from having both types of insurance.

Similarities

The way that these insurance policies are the same is that they will bot payout in the event of accidental death due to a crash, like a car accident. Other than that, they both cover different situations that may lead to death.

Life insurance

Life insurance will typically payout for almost any type of death. If you die due to an illness, you can expect coverage. Even in cases where you may have responsibility for your own death, such as a drug overdose or suicide, the policy will cover them. Do note that most policies will have a clause on suicide that limits payouts only if it occurs two years after first securing the coverage. Life insurance also will cover death due to drunk driving.

AD & D

AD & D is a more restrictive policy. It will not pay out for incidents that are not an accident. If you play any part in your own death, then this insurance will not likely pay. However, one area where it does offer coverage that life insurance does not is for loss of a limb, eyesight or hearing.