There are many different reasons as to why insurance policy claims tend to get problematic when other sources tend to get in the way. For instance, when one has been addicted to different substances, these can be a cause for denials or delays when attempting to get full benefits from a policy. One major problem that tends to cause the most issues is alcohol. Not fully classified as an illegal substance, alcohol tends to have a diverse amount of issues tied into it that can cause health issues, and even death. As such, it is imperative to know how it can affect the outcome of a life insurance claim.
Lying about an Addiction
To start with, omitting the fact that the insured holder has or had an alcohol addiction can spell disaster for anyone reading over the claim later on. The reasoning is twofold. For one, extended periods of alcohol abuse can lead to drastic shutdowns of different bodily functions, such as liver function.
Secondly, not stating that one has a possible problem and medical condition linked to alcohol prior to the inception of the life insurance policy, it is considered misinformation, and will be counted as lying on the documentation. If they deem it so, then they can count it as falsified information, and completely denying it, even though it is not a technical illegal substance.
Self-Inflicted injuries
Self-inflicted injuries are something that any life insurance company tends to deny. This is in place to make sure people do not attempt to gain large quantities of money by means of abusing the system. Because of this, it also extends to injuries that may have accidentally occurred while either being under the influence, or within the parameters set by the company. For instance, if the insured party were to have been in a car accident, that in itself would usually be okay under most insurance policies. But, a legal denial can be made if the insured was under the influence of alcohol, it would be classified as a self-inflicted injury since the alcohol had been abused and the decision was made.
This does not just extend to vehicular accidents. Such things like drunken disorder, or misdemeanors, can also be a possible reason as to why a life insurance claim can be denied. Depending on the insurance company and policy, the fine line can vary from company to company. Overall, though, it is best to just avoid these situations in general.
Not always a dead end
On the flip side, this does not mean that all alcohol related incidents and problems automatically result in delays and denials. Depending on the contents and details of the autopsy and reports, it is possible to challenge the denial. As such, always attempt to contact an experienced life insurance agent or attorney, and have them look over and cover your possible case. Making sure to cover all your bases ensures that nothing will slip through the loopholes.
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