Accident Insurance Costs: Your Guide to Optimal Protection and Fair Contributions
31 Mar 2025
8
Minutes
Katrin Straub
CEO at nextsure
An accident can change your life in an instant and lead to significant financial burdens. In this context, the cost of accident insurance is an important factor. Find out here how the premiums are composed and how to find the right coverage for your individual life situation.
The topic in brief and concise terms
The costs of accident insurance vary greatly and depend on factors such as age, occupation, sum insured, progression, and additional benefits; premiums start at around three euros per month for children and can be significantly higher for adults and seniors.
An appropriate insurance sum (often five to six times the gross annual income) and a sensible progression (e.g. 225 to 350 percent) are crucial for adequate protection, but they affect the premium amount.
By comparing rates, opting for annual payments, and foregoing unnecessary additional benefits, costs can often be optimized without significantly compromising the insurance cover.
Quick Overview of Accident Insurance Costs
The premiums for a private accident insurance can start from as little as a few euros per month, for instance from three euros for children. For adults, the monthly costs often range between seven and 22 euros. Due to a statistically higher risk of accidents, seniors have to reckon with premiums between ten and 38 euros monthly. These amounts are initial benchmarks and can vary significantly depending on the chosen scope of coverage. The exact accident insurance costs depend on many personal factors.
These factors significantly determine your contribution amount
Professional Activity and Associated Risks
Insurers classify professions into different risk groups, which directly affects the cost of accident insurance. A person in an office job typically pays less than, for example, a roofer, who is exposed to a higher accident risk; here, premiums can be up to 25 per cent higher. Extremely high-risk professions, such as stuntmen, are sometimes not covered by some companies at all.
Chosen Sum Insured and Progression Scale
The sum insured, also known as the base amount, is the figure used as the basis for calculating the disability benefit. Experts often recommend five to six times the gross annual income, but at least 200,000 euros. A higher sum leads to higher premiums. Progression ensures that in the case of severe disability, the payout increases disproportionately – a progression of 350 per cent triples the benefit for full disability. This raises the premium but provides better protection in the event of serious accident consequences. Accident insurance benefits are, therefore, highly customisable.
Age of the Insured and Current Life Phase
Age plays an important role in calculating accident insurance costs. Rates are generally cheaper for children, as statistically fewer serious accidents occur; monthly premiums can range from three to eight euros. As age increases, particularly in old age from about 65 years, the premiums rise again, as the risk of falls and other accidents increases. For a 70-year-old pensioner, costs can therefore range from ten to 38 euros per month.
Additional Modules and Extended Coverage
In addition to basic disability benefits, numerous additional modules can influence costs. These include, for example, an accident pension, which is paid monthly from a certain degree of disability, or hospital daily allowance. The coverage of costs for cosmetic surgery or rescue costs are also popular options, albeit ones that increase premiums. Many insured individuals underestimate the additional costs of up to 30 per cent through extensive supplementary packages.
Cost examples: What insured individuals pay in practice
To provide a clearer understanding of accident insurance costs, here are some typical scenarios:
A 30-year-old office employee with a basic disability sum of €100,000 and a progression of 225 percent often pays between eight and 15 euros per month.
A family with two children (aged five and eight) insures each child with a basic sum of €75,000 and 350 percent progression; the parents (aged 35 and 38, commercial employees) opt for a basic sum of €150,000 and 350 percent progression. The total costs here can range from 25 to 45 euros monthly.
A 45-year-old self-employed craftsman with a higher occupational risk, a basic sum of €200,000, 500 percent progression, and an accident pension of €1,000 monthly should expect contributions starting at 40 euros or more.
A 70-year-old retiree, who values assistance services such as meal service and escort services, pays around 20 to 40 euros per month for an appropriate tariff with a basic sum of €50,000 and 225 percent progression.
These examples illustrate the range of accident insurance costs in comparison and the necessity for individual calculation.
Tap into savings potential: How to find affordable accident insurance
There are different ways to optimize the costs of your accident insurance without sacrificing essential coverage:
Compare offers thoroughly: Use online comparison tools to get an overview of the market. The price differences for comparable services can be up to 300 euros per year.
Choose the appropriate insurance sum and progression: Excessive cover unnecessarily increases the price. Carefully consider what amount will be needed in an emergency. A progression of 225 to 350 percent is often a good compromise.
Forego unnecessary additional benefits: Critically examine whether add-ons, such as high daily hospital allowances, are truly necessary or if this risk is already covered elsewhere.
Check family tariffs: For families with children, many insurers offer discounted rates or up to ten percent off if multiple people are insured under one contract. [2"ü"]
Make use of term discounts and annual payment: Longer contract durations and paying premiums annually instead of monthly can reduce costs by several percent. [5"ü"]
Our expert tip: Although a dynamic contract increases premiums and benefits annually, sometimes a higher initial insurance sum without dynamics is a more suitable and long-term planable solution. [2""] The question do you need accident insurance, should always be answered individually.
Expertise: Understanding the limb table as the foundation of benefits
The benefit scale is a central component of any accident insurance policy and determines the degree of disability calculated in the event of loss or incapacity of certain body parts or sense organs. For example, the loss of a thumb might be assessed at 20 percent, while the loss of an arm at the shoulder joint might be assessed at 70 percent. These percentage values are then multiplied by the agreed basic disability sum to calculate the one-time capital benefit. Be sure to look for an improved benefit scale, as standard values are often conservatively estimated and a better scale can result in significantly higher payouts in the event of an incident. Many insurers offer rates with benefit scales that exceed the usual market recommendations, thereby providing better protection. You can always find the exact values in your policy's terms and conditions. A clear benefit scale is crucial for the transparency of the private accident insurance for adults.
Tax Considerations: Claim deductions for accident insurance contributions
Contributions to a private accident insurance can, under certain conditions, be claimed for tax purposes. They are classified as 'other precautionary expenses'. For employees and civil servants, there is a maximum amount of 1,900 euros per year, while for self-employed individuals who fully cover their health insurance contributions themselves, the limit is 2,800 euros. Since these maximum amounts are often already exhausted by contributions to health and nursing care insurance, the accident insurance does not always have a tax impact. However, it is possible to claim the portion of accident insurance that covers occupational risks as advertising costs (for employees) or business expenses (for self-employed individuals). In such cases, tax offices often accept a flat rate of 50 percent of the contribution if no precise allocation is possible. Thus, claiming accident insurance for tax purposes can reduce the financial burden.
Our Expert Advice: Long-term Planning for Optimal Protection
The cost of accident insurance is an important, but not the only deciding factor. Much more important is that the chosen coverage fits your current life situation and individual risks. Therefore, review your insurance coverage regularly, at least every five years or during major life changes such as marriage, the birth of a child, or starting self-employment. A child accident insurance policy has different priorities compared to a plan for seniors. Do not be guided by the cheapest offer, but pay attention to a fair price-performance ratio and transparent conditions. Professional advice can help you avoid pitfalls and find a plan that truly delivers when it matters. The question of whether accident insurance is mandatory is denied by the legislator, yet financial protection is often essential.
More useful links
Wikipedia offers a comprehensive overview of statutory accident insurance in Germany.
The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) provides a detailed overview of statutory accident insurance.
The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) answers frequently asked questions about the benefits of statutory accident insurance.
The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) provides current statistics on traffic accidents in Germany.
The Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) offers a relevant publication on occupational safety and accident prevention.
The German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) provides an important publication on accident insurance available for download.
The German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) provides detailed information on the calculation of contributions in statutory accident insurance.
The Consumer Advice Centre offers a critical assessment of the advisability of private accident insurance.
Stiftung Warentest presents an independent test report on private accident insurance.
FAQ
How are the accident insurance costs composed?
The costs are composed of various factors: individual risk (age, occupation, hobbies), the desired insurance amount, the progression scale, and selected additional benefits (e.g., accident pension, death benefit, hospital daily allowance). Each insurer calculates the individual premium based on these aspects.
Why is accident insurance for children often cheaper?
Tariffs for children are often more affordable because, statistically, children are less likely to suffer serious accidents with high degrees of disability than adults. The insurance sums and service packages are often specifically tailored to the needs of children.
What impact does my profession have on the accident insurance costs?
Your occupation has a significant impact. Insurers categorize occupations into risk groups. People in low-risk jobs (e.g., office work) pay less than those in occupations with a higher risk of accidents (e.g., tradespeople, construction workers).
What does progression mean and how does it affect the costs?
Progression means that the insurance benefit increases disproportionately to the agreed basic amount in cases of severe accidents. A high progression (e.g., 350 percent or 500 percent) provides better protection in cases of high disability, but also leads to higher contributions.
Can I deduct accident insurance contributions from my taxes?
Yes, contributions to private accident insurance can be claimed as other pension expenses for tax purposes, but only up to certain maximum amounts, which are often already reached through health and care insurance contributions. The professional portion can potentially be deducted as advertising expenses/business expenses.
How do I find an affordable and good accident insurance?
Compare various plans and providers online. Pay attention not only to the price but also to the benefits (in particular, dismemberment schedule, sum insured, progression). Consider which additional benefits you really need and whether paying annually allows for discounts.
