Does life insurance cover extreme sports?

22 September 2020

Extreme sports are a favourite pastime for those of us who love the challenge and exhilaration of living life on the edge. But, of course, these daredevil activities carry with them some extra risks that may affect your life insurance. 

In this article, we’ll discuss how life insurance providers determine whether they can cover you for extreme sports.

Extreme sports

The popularity of extreme sports is on the rise, with an increasing number of extreme sports and adventure package holidays offering the chance for thrill-seeking travellers to try their hand at something new and exciting.

There are hundreds of activities that fall under the category of ‘extreme sports’, each carrying a different level of risk. Such activities range from off-piste skiing and BASE jumping, to kiteboarding and free-climbing. These can be distinguished from more regular (less risky) sports and hobbies, like trekking, snorkelling and rugby.

Does life insurance cover extreme sports?

Life insurance can cover some extreme sports participants, but your premium rates will depend on the type of activity, where it takes place and your level of experience, among other factors. When you apply for life insurance, you must make sure that you mention any extreme or dangerous activities that you plan to take part in. You won’t be covered if you fail to provide full and honest answers to the questions asked in your life cover application. 

Life insurance providers will assess the risk attached to the specific extreme sports or hobbies that you disclose in your application. Depending on the provider and the type of activities you specify, there may be circumstances in which your application for cover could be rejected.

In some cases, if the insurance provider deems the risk attached to your particular activities to be fairly low, they may be willing to provide you with life insurance for extreme sports at standard rates. Meaning your life insurance premiums will not be automatically higher if you enjoy extreme sports.

Does Legal & General Life Insurance cover extreme sports?

Like other providers, we determine whether or not we can provide cover for customers participating in high-risk activities on a case-by-case basis. Depending on the type of activities you mention, we may be able to provide your cover at standard rates – for example, if you’re taking part in an organised bungee jump and all the safety procedures are in place – or at an adjusted premium. Some of the hazardous activities listed in our application form include mountaineering, paragliding and skydiving as well as including extreme sports such as canyoning and white water rafting. But of course, the list is constantly growing, so we will use the information you disclose in your application to assess the risks and calculate your quote accordingly. Here are some of the factors we consider before we determine your rates:

  • What is the activity?
  • What is your age and experience level?
  • Where does the activity take place? For example, remote or hostile environments, or at heights.
  • Is the activity undertaken alone or in a group?
  • What is the frequency or duration of the activity?
  • Are you a member of a recognised professional body? For example, the British Kitesurfing Association.

In some cases, we may be able to offer you cover but with certain restrictions. If we do this, we will detail your cover exclusions in your Policy Booklet under the heading ‘What you are not covered for’. We can’t pay a claim for anything excluded from your policy and you won't be covered under some additional policy benefits, such as Accidental Death Benefit, if your death occurs from taking part or attempting to take part in hazardous activities, including extreme sports.