Group benefits · Protect
How to choose a group personal accident policy for your team
Every group personal accident policy looks similar on a slide. The differences that decide whether a family is actually paid live in the disability table and the claim terms — here's how to read them, with a scorecard for any quote.
The headline sum insured is the least useful number on the page — and it's the one most buyers compare on.
After nearly a decade of reading these policies from the buyer's side of the table, I can tell you the headline sum insured is the least useful number on the page. The differences that matter — the ones that decide whether a family is actually paid — are buried in the disability table and the claim terms, which is exactly where most buyers don't look. Here's how to judge a policy properly.
The short version
- The headline sum insured tells you little; the disability table tells you almost everything.
- Decide the sum-insured basis first — a multiple of salary, or graded by designation.
- Read the exclusions and the cover scope before you compare prices.
- The claim terms — the intimation window and documentation — decide whether a payout lands at all.
Start with what you're actually buying
Before comparing quotes, be clear what the cover is for: accidental death and disability, not medical treatment. Once that's settled, judging a policy comes down to five things — and only one of them is the price.
For the full definition and what's covered, see the guide to group personal accident insurance.
Sum insured: a multiple of salary, or graded cover?
The sum insured is usually set as a multiple of annual salary or as graded cover by designation, and the choice shapes every payout. A salary multiple keeps the benefit proportionate to what each person earns; graded cover is simpler to administer but can under-protect junior staff.
Decide the basis deliberately — it's harder to change later than to set right now.
Read the disability table, not just the death benefit
The disability table is where policies differ most, because it sets what partial and permanent disabilities actually pay. Two policies with an identical death benefit can pay very differently for the loss of a hand, an eye, or hearing.
A strong policy has a detailed, generous disability table; a weak one pays the full sum only on death and treats disability as an afterthought — which is the more common claim.
The exclusions that decide claims
Exclusions are not fine print; they are the policy. The three that bite most often are the technical definition of "accident," the on-duty/off-duty scope, and intoxication or unlawful-act clauses.
We've set out the full list and the "what counts as an accident" test in what a GPA policy covers and the exclusions HR misses — read it before you sign, not after a claim.
On-duty only, or 24×7 worldwide?
Cover scope is a genuine differentiator: some policies protect employees only on duty, others 24×7 and worldwide. For most office teams, off-duty accidents — a fall at home, a road accident on the weekend — are the likelier claims, so a 24×7 scope usually matters more than employers expect.
Confirm the scope explicitly; don't assume it.
The claim terms: intimation window and documentation
A policy is only as good as its claim. The claim terms — how quickly an accident must be reported, and what documents are required — decide whether a valid claim is actually paid. Missing the intimation window is itself a rejection, and most claims that fail do so on paperwork, not on the merits.
We've explained what that really looks like in what actually happens when an accident claim is filed.
The GPA policy scorecard
This is the tool I wish every buyer had: run any quote through it before you compare on price.
| What to check | Strong policy | Weak policy |
|---|---|---|
| Sum insured basis | Salary multiple, proportionate to each person. | Flat or thinly graded; under-protects some staff. |
| Disability table | Detailed and generous across partial disabilities. | Pays mainly on death; disability is an afterthought. |
| Cover scope | 24×7, worldwide for death and disability. | On-duty or working-hours only. |
| Add-ons | Relevant cover — child education, ambulance, adaptation. | Padding that inflates the quote, not the protection. |
| Intimation window | Reasonable, clearly stated. | Short and easily missed. |
| Documentation & claim support | Clear list; someone to help the family compile it. | The family is left to navigate it alone. |
What an independent broker does that a portal can't
A broker's duty under IRDAI regulation is to you, the client — not to any insurer — so the job is to read the whole market against your team, not to place you with one name. That is the difference between buying a policy and being helped to choose one.
Someone judging the disability table, the scope and the claim terms across options, and staying with you when a claim comes. That's the work behind our group personal accident cover for employers.
Frequently asked questions
What's the most important thing to check in a GPA policy?
The disability table. It decides what the policy pays for partial and permanent disabilities, which are far more common claims than death, and it's where policies differ most.
Should I set the sum insured as a salary multiple?
A salary multiple keeps each person's benefit proportionate to their earnings, which usually protects a mixed team better than flat cover. The right basis depends on your workforce.
Does a cheaper premium mean weaker cover?
Not always — but a low quote often means a thin disability table or a restricted scope. Compare what the policy pays and how it handles claims before comparing price.
Do I need 24×7 cover or is on-duty enough?
For most office teams, off-duty accidents are the likelier claims, so 24×7 worldwide cover usually matters more than on-duty-only cover.
Can I change the policy basis later?
You can at renewal, but it's harder than getting it right at the start, especially once employees are used to a given level of cover.
What happens when you talk to us
A 20-minute video call with a Growth Advisor — no obligation, and no quote pushed. It opens with a five-minute video from our founder on how the benefits stack works and why Ethika exists; the rest is your questions. You'll leave with an honest read on your current cover and claims experience, and a straight answer on whether we can genuinely help — even if you never become a client.
20 minutes with a Growth Advisor. No obligation.
A note on this page. Everything here is general information, not insurance, legal, financial or tax advice, and nothing is an offer. For advice about your situation, talk to us.