While a third of UK adults have experienced a serious accident in the last three years, younger people in particular lack the necessary cover to manage these unexpected disruptions to their lives.
This is according to National Friendly’s Bruised Britain research among 2,000 UK adults which found that a third (33%) of UK adults who experienced an accident in the last three years described it as “serious,” with the most common type of accident being a fall at home (34%).
But when narrowing the lens down to just adults aged under 35 who have had an accident in the last three years, the research found almost one in four (23%) suffered a sports-related injury, while hazardous sports led to injuries in 8%. This compared to a national average of 16% and 4% respectively.
Younger people were also more likely to have accidents involving scooters (14% vs 7% average), push bikes (13% vs 8%), or mobile phones (13% vs 6%).
More of this age group also suffered an allergic reaction (10% vs 6%) or were electrocuted (9% vs 4%).
However, the research also showed younger people often lacked the financial cushion to manage unexpected disruptions, with 37% of adults under-35 experiencing at least one accident in the past three years.
National Friendly’s Accident Only Income Protection claims data shows 34% of claimants were aged 35 or under.
Graham Singleton, CEO of National Friendly, (pictured) said: “Our ‘Bruised Britain’ research highlights the growing risks of everyday accidents, particularly among younger generations who often juggle busy, active lifestyles.
“From sports injuries to accidents involving scooters and phones, the findings underscore the importance of having a safety net in place—both for health and finances.
“At National Friendly, our focus is on helping individuals and families secure their financial futures, no matter what life throws their way.
“Friendly Shield, the latest addition to our income protection product family, has been designed with simplicity, affordability, and accessibility in mind.
“It provides short-term benefits including up to three months of guaranteed income at a level chosen by the customer, fracture cover, and hospital cash in the event of an accident and sickness—all with no medical underwriting, ensuring support is available when it’s needed most.”
Bruised Britain also found that women are more likely to have a fall at home (38% compared to 28% of men) as well as outside the home (29% compared to 16% of men) while men have more accidents in the workplace (14% vs 11% of women) and in the car (13% vs 8% of women).
National Friendly’s Accident Only Income Protection claims data shows that 79% of claimants are male and those in manual work are at greatest risk of claiming, with builders, delivery drivers and HGV drivers being the top three claimant occupation.
When thinking about their most recent accident, the five most common places for an accident to happen were on a public road (13%), followed by the living room (9%), a public place outdoors (8%), the kitchen (8%) and the stairs (7%).
More than four in 10 (43%) of those who have had an accident at least partly blamed themselves for their most recent accident, but this figure fell among younger Brits aged under 35 (35%) – 13% said another person played a part in causing their accident and 7% blamed an animal, rising to 12% of under 35s.
Overall UK adults also blamed the weather for causing accidents (10%), while 8% cited the state of the roads and potholes as a factor.
Around one in eight under 35s laid part of the blame with mobile phones – 13% compared to a national average of 6% – and more young people cited alcohol or drugs as a factor (14% of under 35s compared to the national average of 8%).
Ben Jones, head of product and partnerships at Active Quote, said: “As a one of the UK’s leading Income Protection brokers, it’s truly eye-opening to see how everyday accidents can have such a profound impact on both people’s health and finances.
“National Friendly’s Bruised Britain research highlights the pressing need for income protection, particularly for younger generations who often lack the financial safety net to recover from unexpected events.
“From sports injuries to accidents involving scooters or mobile phones, it’s clear that the risks are diverse, and the financial strain can be overwhelming. Income protection is more important than ever to ensure individuals have the support they need to maintain their financial stability, no matter what life throws their way.”