Every Diwali, Raj Mehta from Thane buys the same big box of crackers for his kids. Last year, a flowerpot tipped over before it went off, and his nephew burned his hand. It wasn’t a huge accident, but the hospital bill still came to a few thousand rupees more than the family expected, and nobody knew which policy, if any, would pay for it. According to Rakesh Goyal, Director of Probus, this is the sort of situation where people start asking about firecracker insurance.
Is there any firecracker insurance?
“The first thing to know is that most insurers do not sell a standalone product with that name for consumers. What usually protects a family is a mix of cover they may already own – health insurance for hospitalisation after burns, personal accident cover for disability or death, and home insurance for fire damage to the house or its contents,” Goyal said.
So what should one keep in mind?
First, read the exclusions before the festival, not after the accident. Some policies can reject a claim if the injury comes from something illegal, such as banned crackers or unsafe storage at home. Second, check the health policy details: waiting periods, room rent limits, and whether things like burn dressings and follow-up treatment are covered. Third, keep a basic paper trail. Medical records, the hospital’s discharge summary, and bills matter a lot, and you should inform the insurer quickly. Fourth, a cover bought after an accident will not help, so any buying or topping up has to happen well before Diwali. Finally, if a cashless claim is possible, go to a network hospital where you can.
Is it worth buying separate cover just for crackers?
For most families, probably not. If your health cover is adequate and you also have a personal accident plan, you are already covered for the most likely risks. In that case, it’s better to raise the health sum insured if it’s too low than to buy a seasonal policy that overlaps with what you already have.
“The picture is different for firecracker traders and stall owners. They store stock that can catch fire quickly, and customers can be injured on their premises. For them, a fire policy with public liability cover makes sense, though they must check that the policy actually covers explosives and fireworks stock, because standard policies often don’t,” he added.
When Raj sat down after Diwali and went through his papers, he found his health policy would have covered most of the bill. His real gap was that he had no personal accident cover. He fixed that in a week. It cost far less than a single night in the hospital.
The bottom line
Insurance handles the financial fallout, but caution protects your loved ones. Insurance provides peace of mind, but safety comes first.
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