Is an accident pension worth it in private accident insurance in Germany?
In short
Is an accident pension worth it in private accident insurance in Germany? Usually only if you cannot get occupational disability insurance. The accident pension (Unfallrente) pays monthly, normally only from 50 percent disability and only after an accident. Yet accidents cause only about 7 percent of disability claims. Illness such as mental health, back problems or cancer is not covered.
Add-on accident pension of EUR 1,000 a month from 50 percent
about EUR 100 to 250 a year
Occupational disability insurance, age 30, office, EUR 1,500 pension
around EUR 70 a month
Statutory accident pension at 30 percent reduced earning capacity and EUR 36,000 annual earnings
around EUR 600 a month, only after an accident at work or on the way
As of October 2026.
Premiums for accident and disability insurance from the sources named.
The add-on price for the accident pension and the figures in the example are guide values from our
quoting practice and depend heavily on age, job and threshold; we obtain the exact quote.
Worked example
Serious cycling accident at 35, arm completely unusable
How the accident pension works alongside the lump sum when the degree of disability is 70 percent.
Degree of disability under the limb schedule
70 percent
Lump sum at EUR 100,000 without progression
EUR 70,000
Accident pension from 50 percent, agreed EUR 1,000
EUR 12,000 a year
Accident pension calculated up to age 85
around EUR 600,000
After a severe accident the pension pays many times the lump sum over the decades. If the degree stays at 40 percent, you only get the lump sum and no pension at all.
How the accident pension works
The accident pension is an add-on to private accident insurance (private Unfallversicherung). It pays the agreed amount every month if an accident leaves a permanent disability (Invalidität) of at least the agreed degree. The degree is set the same way as for the lump sum, using the limb schedule (Gliedertaxe) or the overall impairment.
Under the model terms of the German insurance association the accident pension is backdated to the month of the accident and then paid monthly in advance. It ends on death or when a reassessment shows the degree has fallen below the threshold. The insurer may ask for proof of life, and payments pause until it arrives.
Why the 50 percent threshold for the accident pension is so high
The accident pension usually starts at 50 percent disability. That sounds modest but is a lot: under the model limb schedule even losing a foot only counts as 40 percent. You need very serious or multiple injuries before the accident pension pays at all.
Policies with a 25 or 30 percent threshold pay out much more often but cost more. If you want an accident pension, check the threshold first and the pension amount second.
Injury under the limb schedule
Degree of disability
Pension from 50 percent?
Thumb completely unusable
20 percent
no
Hearing lost in one ear
30 percent
no
Loss of a foot
40 percent
no
Loss of a hand
55 percent
yes
Arm completely unusable
70 percent
yes
Arm half impaired
35 percent
no
Accident pension or occupational disability insurance
Occupational disability insurance pays if you can no longer do your job to at least 50 percent, whether because of illness or accident. The accident pension only pays after an accident. In claims statistics accidents account for 6.85 percent of disability cases, far behind mental illness, back and joints, and cancer.
If you already have disability insurance you usually do not need the accident pension on top. The money is better spent on a higher sum insured with progression (Progression), because a lump sum helps pay for adapting your home and car.
Who the accident pension suits
The accident pension mainly suits people who cannot get or afford occupational disability insurance: because of pre-existing conditions, a physically demanding job or risky hobbies. For them a lifelong accident pension is often the only ongoing income protection, at least for serious accidents.
Young people may also benefit from an accident pension, because a lifelong pension after severe disability can pay far more over decades than a lump sum. For pensioners it rarely makes sense: their income continues, what they need is money for help at home.
Limits and drawbacks of the accident pension
The accident pension depends on the same conditions as the disability benefit: the disability must arise, be certified by a doctor and be claimed within 15 months of the accident. If illness or infirmity contributed 25 percent or more, the degree is reduced, which can push the accident pension below its threshold.
Without indexation a fixed accident pension loses purchasing power over the years. How a private accident pension is taxed is a question for your tax adviser.
Step by step
Check whether occupational disability insurance is possible and affordable for you.
If not, ask for an accident pension with the lowest possible threshold, such as 30 instead of 50 percent.
Set the pension amount by your ongoing needs, not the highest offer.
Agree indexation so the pension keeps its value.
Still choose a sufficient sum insured with progression.
Compare premiums with and without the accident pension side by side.
Checklist
Threshold for the accident pension known, 50 percent or lower
Pension paid for life, not only up to a final age
Reduction for contributing illness only from 25 percent or higher
Indexation agreed for premium and benefit
Occupational disability insurance checked or deliberately ruled out
15 month deadlines for disability known
Common mistakes
Treating the accident pension as a substitute for disability insurance
Looking only at the pension amount and overlooking the 50 percent threshold
Cutting the sum insured so far for the pension that the lump sum becomes too small
Missing the 15 month deadline for medical certification
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
From when does the accident pension pay?
From the agreed degree of disability, usually 50 percent.
Some policies pay from 25 or 30 percent.
Is the accident pension paid for life?
Under the model terms yes, until death.
It ends earlier if a reassessment lowers the degree below the threshold.
Does the accident pension replace disability insurance?
No.
It only pays after accidents, disability insurance also pays for illness,
which is the most common cause.
Is the accident pension paid on top of the lump sum?
Yes.
It is a separate module and runs alongside the disability benefit if both are agreed.
Is a statutory accident pension deducted?
No.
The private accident pension pays regardless of any benefit from the statutory accident insurance
after an accident at work.
Is an accident pension useful for children?
It can be, because a pension after severe disability runs for a very long time.
Look for a low threshold and compare with child disability cover.
