i Protecting Your Noggin Head Injuries Top Accident Insurance Claims SwemrIanMmbRwWwNr (NAPSA)—When it comes to accident insurance claims, many people start at the top. Minor head injuries are far and away the top reason claims are filed on Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Companyaccident policies. Of the nearly 74,000 accident claims Colonial received in 2004, more than 8,300 were for a superficial head injury such as a cut, bumporscrape. The top 10 injuries resulting in an accident claim include: . Superficial head injury—11.3% . Ankle sprain or strain—3.6% . Neck sprain or strain—3.3% . General trauma—3.0% . Open wound—2.6% . Generaljoint pain—2.4% . Finger wound—2.4% Back sprain or strain—2.2% . Broken forearm—2.1% eS . Lower back pain—2.0% Most accident victims whofile a claim hurt themselves at home or at play—and not while driving or riding in a car, Colonial reports. “Almostall the top 10 diagnoses are the result of an injury that occurred off the job and do not involve a motor vehicle accident,” says Mike Glover, Colonial Supplemental Insurance’s vice president of claims. Workers’ compensation insurance doesn’t cover injuries that occur off the job or children and More than one in 10 accident claims at one insurance company involve minor head injury. others who are not employed. Major medical plans typically do cover treatment for accidents but usually include deductibles of several hundred to a thousand dollars and may have separate deductibles or copayments for emergency room visits. Accident insurance coverage, offered by companies such as Colonial, can help protect families against these unexpected and sometimes significant expenses. “No one plans to have an accident,” Glover says. “With the right insurance protection, you can worry about getting better and not about payingthebill.” To learn more, visit www.colo niallife.com. Colonial Supplemental Insuranceis the marketing brand of Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company.
