Lifetime cover
Protects your pet for life, as long as the policy is renewed each year.
Average cost: £10.51[6]
Accident only pet insurance
Compare accident only pet insurance.
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What is accident only pet insurance?
Accident only pet insurance is the most basic and often cheapest type of pet cover that only covers accidental injuries to your pet. It can help pay for vet fees and cover costs if:
Your cat or dog is injured in an accident or needs to be put down as a direct result of their injuries
Your cat or dog needs emergency treatment, surgery or care following an accidental injury
Your dog accidentally injures someone or damages their property, including their pet
It shouldn’t be confused with accidental damage caused by your pet, which may be covered by your home insurance.
Is it right for me and my pet?
Accident only pet insurance may be suitable for your pet if you're looking for:
✔ A more basic level of cover at a lower price
✔ Cover for unexpected accidents and injuries
✔ Protection against potentially expensive emergency vet treatment following an accident
🚩 Accident only policies don't cover illness or disease, pre-existing conditions or routine care such as vaccinations and worming. Check the policy details to make sure the cover meets your pet's needs.
How does accident only pet insurance work?
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Choose your cover limit
Choose how much your insurer will pay towards eligible vet fees if your pet has an accident, such as £2,000 or £5,000.
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Claim for treatment
If your pet is injured in a covered accident, you can claim towards eligible treatment costs, such as consultations, medication or surgery.
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Cover ends
You can claim until you reach your policy's financial or time limit. After this, you'll need to pay for any further treatment yourself.
What does accident only pet insurance cover?
Cover varies by provider and policy, so always check your insurance documents.
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Typically covered
✔ Vet bills for accidental injuries, up to the policy's financial limit
✔ Emergency treatment or surgery following an accident
✔ Diagnostic tests such as X-rays and scans needed after an accidental injury
✔ Hospital treatment following an accident
✔ Dental treatment needed as a result of an accident, such as a broken tooth
✔ Euthanasia if your pet needs to be put down as a direct result of an accidental injury
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Not typically covered
✖ Illnesses or diseases
✖ Pre-existing conditions
✖ Routine or preventative care, such as vaccinations, flea and worm treatments
✖ Routine dental care and dental problems caused by illness or poor dental hygiene
✖ Microchipping costs
✖ Cosmetic or elective procedures
✖ Training and behavioural treatment
✖ Pregnancy and breeding-related costs
✖ The policy excess, which you'll usually need to pay towards any claim
How much is accident only pet insurance?
What impacts the price of pet insurance?
Insurers set their prices based on risk. The more likely they think you are to claim, or the more expensive it would be for them if you did claim, the higher your price is likely to be.
The key factors pet insurers will look at are:
Age
Breed
Medical history
Policy type
Where you live
How much is the average pet insurance claim?
£685[4]
Paying out of pocket for insurable problems is usually significantly more expensive than taking out an insurance policy.
If your pet stays healthy and safe, you won't recoup your investment. But you'll have the peace of mind of knowing if something did go wrong the treatment options available to your pet won't be limited to what you can currently afford.
Did you know?
Did you know? Pet insurers paid out a record £1.23 billion in claims in 2024, according to 2025 data from the Association of British Insurers (ABI). There were also 1.8 million claims, equivalent to around 4,900 claims every day.
As vet treatment can be expensive, pet insurance could help you cover eligible treatment costs if your pet develops an illness or suffers an injury.
How can I get cheaper accident only pet insurance?
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Compare quotes
Shopping around is the best way to find a deal the suits your needs and budget.
MoneySuperMarket can do the hard work for you, showing you quotes from 37[5] of the UK's leading pet insurers.
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Increase your excess
The excess is the amount of money you pay before the insurance covers the rest.
The higher the excess, the lower your premiums can be. The downside is that it makes claims less affordable.
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Insure multiple pets under one policy
If you have other animals you can insure them all together under a multi-pet policy, which can be cheaper than individual policies.
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Remove extra policy features
Pet insurance policies often offer optional extras, such as cover for marketing and rewards if your cat or dog is lost, or cover for dental treatments.
Adding these will give you better protection, but make your policy more expensive.
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Spay, neuter, worm and vaccinate your pet
Preventing your cat or dog from breeding and keeping them in tip-top health is good for them and for your insurance premiums.
Insurers may refuse cover if your pet has not had their recommended treatments.
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Train and socialise your dog
Dog insurers charge more to insure dogs that have show previous signs of aggression, such as biting other people or other dogs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the advantages of accident only pet insurance?
Accident only pet insurance can be a cheaper way to help cover unexpected vet bills if your pet is injured.
It can provide financial support for eligible accident-related treatment, such as surgery, medication and diagnostic tests, up to your policy limit.
What are the disadvantages of accident only pet insurance?
The main disadvantage is that it doesn't cover illnesses or conditions that develop naturally.
This means you'll need to pay for treatment for sickness yourself, which could become expensive if your pet develops a long-term or serious condition.
What other costs are involved with accident only pet insurance?
As well as your insurance premium, you may need to pay an excess towards any claim you make.
Some policies may also include a co-payment, where you pay a percentage of the treatment costs.
Check your policy for any additional limits, exclusions or costs that could leave you paying part of the vet bill yourself.
What should I check before buying accident only pet insurance?
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Accident cover limit
How much you can claim towards eligible treatment for an accident
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Policy wording
How your insurer defines an accident and what injuries are covered
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Excess
Compare how much you’ll need to contribute if you make a claim
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Co-payment fees
Paying a percentage of treatment costs on top of excess, particularly as your pet gets older
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Waiting periods
Initial exclusion or waiting periods, commonly a few days for accidents and 10 to 30 days for illnesses, during which you cannot claim
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Age limits
Limitations on when you can take out cover or how long it can continue
Our expert says…
We all want our pets to have the best of everything, especially care and treatment. But if your pet is young and healthy, a basic, accident only insurance policy could be enough to give you both peace of mind and a little cost saving. Just remember that these policies do what they say on the tin and won’t help if your pet develops a health condition, which is why it probably won’t be a good choice for an older or ill pet.
Kate Hughes Money & Savings Expert
What are the other types of pet insurance?
💡Top tip: Lifetime cover is the most popular type of pet insurance.
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Maximum benefit
Sets limits on how much you can claim for any given illness or injury.
Average cost: £13.10[7]
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Time-limited cover
Covers your pet for a specific period of time (usually 12 months).
Average cost: £11.30[8]
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A year's worth of free experiences across the UK. From London Zoo and Go Ape, and English Heritage, there’s an adventure for everybody. Worth £180[11].
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Refer a friend
You and your friends each get up to £20 when they join the Club and make a qualifying purchase. Win-Win!
What do I need to get an accident only pet insurance quote?
You’ll need the following to get a quote:
✓ Pet’s age
✓ Pet's breed or size
✓ Pet's health
✓ If they have been neutered/spayed
✓ Price you paid for them
✓ Behavioural history
✓ Medical history
Why compare accident only pet insurance insurance quotes with MoneySuperMarket?
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Get quotes from top insurers
All our 37[5] pet insurers are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
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Quick and easy
Give us a few details and we'll show you multiple quotes in minutes, saving you time and effort.
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Earn rewards
Buy through us and get up to £15^, plus other SuperSaveClub rewards
Can I get pet insurance after an accident?
You won’t be able to take out accident only pet insurance and make a claim after your pet has had an accident. You will need to have it in place already. Usually when you take out a pet insurance policy, you can’t make a claim straight away. This is known as the exclusion period and typically lasts 14 days.
What is accidental damage on a pet insurance policy?
Accidental damage cover is usually an add-on to your home insurance policy. It protects you against damage done to your home by your pet. This will usually cover accidents like your dog knocking over an expensive ornament or breaking some technical equipment. Most policies tend to exclude pet damage caused by chewing, scratching, tearing and defecating.
Is a pet swallowing something classed as an accident?
Yes, swallowed objects that cause difficulties for your pet tend to be described as an accident.
If my pet has been in a fight is that classed as an accident?
As an owner, you are liable for your dog. Therefore, if your dog causes injury or damage to another dog, person or property, you may have to pay for those damages. Vice versa, if your dog is attacked, the owner of the aggressor dog will bear responsibility for any injuries to the unprovoked animal. Either way, it is important to have insurance to keep your pet and your money protected.
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You might be wondering if we work with all the companies in the market, or if our commercial relationships with our partners might make us feature one company above another. We’ve got nothing to hide, and we want to give you clear answers when it comes to questions like these, so we’ve pulled together everything you need to know on this page.
Reviewed on 7 Oct 2026 by
Sources and supporting information
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[1]
YouGov Survey 1st July 2025 to 30th June 2026. Net Recommend score derived from "Which of the following online service websites would you recommend to a friend or colleague, or tell them to avoid?" Base: Current Customers of (MoneySuperMarket n=17,883, Compare the Market n=16,193, Go.Compare n=8,523, Confused.com n=7,918, Uswitch n=514)
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[2]
Based on the 51st percentile of monthly premiums our customers were quoted per month for dog insurance based on quotes created on MoneySuperMarket between July 2026 and September 2026 where only 1 pet was included in the quote.
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[3]
Based on the 51st percentile of monthly premiums our customers were quoted per month for cat insurance based on quotes created on MoneySuperMarket between July 2026 and September 2026 where only 1 pet was included in the quote.
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[4]
Source: Association of British Insurers (ABI), 2025, 'Insurance payouts for ‘pawly’ pets top £1 billion for third year in a row' https://www.abi.org.uk/news/news-articles/2025/5/insurance-payouts-for-pawly-pets-top-1-billion-for-third-year-in-a-row/
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[5]
Accurate as of 02 October 2026.
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[6]
Based on the 51 percentile of monthly premiums our customers were quoted less than £10.51 per month where the customer requested lifetime pet insurance based on quotes created on MoneySuperMarket in the month of September 2026 where only 1 pet was included in the quote and the pet didnt have pre-existing medical conditions
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[7]
Based on the 51 percentile of monthly premiums our customers were quoted less than £13.1 per month where the customer requested max benefit pet insurance based on quotes created on MoneySuperMarket in the month of September 2026 where only 1 pet was included in the quote and the pet didnt have pre-existing medical conditions
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[8]
Based on the 51 percentile of monthly premiums our customers were quoted less than £11.3 per month where the customer requested time limited pet insurance based on quotes created on MoneySuperMarket in the month of September 2026 where only 1 pet was included in the quote and the pet didnt have pre-existing medical conditions
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[9]
T&Cs and restrictions apply, see here for more information
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[10]
T&Cs apply, click here for more information
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[11]
Based on 1 visit per month – average ticket value £15.30 (Oct 24)
