Our client called us after her husband died in a tragic accident and the insurance company denied her accidental death claim. The insured in this case was a new gun owner and was in the process of cleaning his gun when it accidentally discharged and fatally shot him. The police report stated it was an accident. Even though there were no witnesses to the tragic accident, the evidence showed that the insured did not intentionally take his own life but instead was shot by a gun that accidentally discharged while being maneuvered by the insured. The medical examiner report and the death certificate stated that the cause of death was undetermined.
The insurance company conducted their own investigation and concluded that the insured died due to a suicide. Since his accidental death policy did not cover suicide, our client’s claim was denied. Our law firm was able to dispute the insurance company’s findings proving that there was no conclusive evidence of suicide. The insurer overturned the denial and paid out the full accidental death benefit to our client.