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Helmet bonus

Boat insurance term, area: Settlement

A helmet bonus is a clause in personal accident wordings that raises the amount paid if the injured person can show they were wearing a helmet when the accident happened. It rewards a precaution that no insurer is able to require. Picture a rider crossing their own wake on a jetski and going over the bow head first. A helmet pays off twice: the head injury itself is smaller, and a percentage is added to whatever permanent impairment is left. Such clauses are typically tied to head injuries, to lasting impairment and to proof that the helmet was worn.

What to check: Two questions for your own contract: is a helmet clause in the wording at all, and whom does it reach, anyone on board or only the person at the controls? And what proof of the helmet is expected after an accident, and what ceiling caps the extra amount?

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