The purpose of personal accident extension in car insurance is to indemnify driver and or passenger suffered by bodily injury or death while at the same time, the body of car also damaged by an accident subject to policy exclusions. The question arise is if that driver and or passenger choked to death due to gas inhalation inside the car will be indemnified under PA extension.

The key factor in discussing this case is concerning to the sentence of “direct cause from a car accident”. “Accident” means a happening taken place accidentally and untentionally from external cause and visible mean. “Direct cause” means damage or loss should be originated from a single cause and not from a sequence of event or interfered by other causes. “Untentionally” means an action is not deliberately acted by the insured or his representatives or people who ordered by the insured. “External cause” means the cause of accident must be from outside and not from inside or part of motor vehicle itself (eg. mechanical or electrical breakdwon). If above substances have been fulfilled and the perils didn’t excluded in the policy exclusions, then death or bodily injury suffered by driver and or passenger could be legally recognized under motor vehicle insurance with extended cover of PA.

How about gas poisoning usually caused by carelessness of driver or passenger who turn on air conditioner inside car in the condition of improper step ?. This type of poisoning didn’t fulfill the requirement “direct cause from car accident” because the car itself was so far so good. Unless if that car collide with other car and resulting a defected gas system, then this case can be classified as a liable claim under motor vehicle insurance with PA extension.