Insurance companies frequently deny life insurance claims by claiming the insured was “under the influence” of alcohol. Sometimes they do this even when alcohol had little or nothing to do with what actually caused the death.
These denials are often based on vague policy language, selective reading of toxicology reports, and a hope that the family will not fight back.
We see this tactic all over the country.
A Real Case: When 0.06 Became an Excuse to Deny $500,000
One of our clients lost her husband in a snowmobile accident in upstate New York.
The autopsy reported a blood alcohol level of 0.06. That is below the legal driving limit.
The insurer did not care that:
The trail was icy and had known safety issues
The machine malfunctioned
He was wearing a helmet
He was riding within legal speed limits
They focused on one phrase in the policy: “death resulting from the insured being under the influence of alcohol.”
They denied the claim and kept the $500,000 his wife and children were depending on.
During the case, we uncovered internal emails showing that the insurer’s own staff had serious doubts about the denial. They paid anyway, assuming the widow would not fight.
They were wrong.
What “Under the Influence” Really Means in These Policies
Many people assume “under the influence” means legally intoxicated.
That is not how insurance companies use it.
These clauses are often written vaguely and insurers try to stretch them to mean:
Any measurable alcohol
Any amount over zero
Or any situation where alcohol can be mentioned at all
They then argue that alcohol “contributed” to the death, even when the real cause was something else.
Why These Denials Are Often Legally Weak
In many states and under many policies, the insurer must prove two things:
The insured was actually impaired
And that the impairment caused or substantially contributed to the death
A toxicology number alone does not prove either.
Important questions usually get ignored:
Was the level actually impairing for that person
Did the accident have an independent cause
Was there equipment failure, road or trail conditions, or another hazard
Did alcohol actually play any real role
Insurance companies hope no one forces them to answer these questions.
How Insurers Are Trained to Look for Alcohol
We have seen insurer training materials and internal practices that instruct adjusters to flag any claim where alcohol appears in the file.
Not because alcohol clearly caused the death.
Because it gives them a possible excuse to deny or delay.
We have deposed corporate representatives who admitted that exclusions are applied even when causation is “unclear.”
That is not risk management. That is opportunistic claim denial.
How We Beat Alcohol Impairment Denials
These cases are won by attacking:
The exact wording of the policy
The actual medical cause of death
The timeline and circumstances of the incident
The reliability and meaning of the toxicology results
And the insurer’s internal decision making
We regularly:
Hire forensic pathologists and toxicologists
Reconstruct the accident or event
Subpoena internal insurer documents
Expose gaps between what the policy requires and what the insurer claims
When insurers are forced to prove causation instead of just pointing to a lab result, many of these denials fall apart.
What You Should Do If Your Claim Was Denied Based on Alcohol
If your denial letter mentions:
Alcohol
Being “under the influence”
Impairment
Or a blood alcohol level
You should:
Get the full policy
Get the toxicology and autopsy reports
Get the insurer’s claim file
Document exactly what happened and why
And talk to a lawyer who actually handles life insurance denial cases
Do not assume the insurer is right.
These Denials Are Designed to Intimidate Families
The letters are written to sound final and authoritative.
They are not always legally correct.
Insurance companies count on grief, stress, and uncertainty to keep families from pushing back.
Do Not Let Them Use a Number to Take Your Benefits
Our firm focuses exclusively on denied life insurance claims, including cases involving alcohol impairment and alcohol exclusions.
We know how often these denials are based on weak causation arguments, vague policy language, and internal pressure to save money.
We offer free consultations and handle these cases on a contingency basis. You do not pay anything unless we recover money for you.
If your life insurance claim was denied because of alleged alcohol impairment, contact us. There is a very real chance the insurance company is wrong.