Life insurance claims can be extremely difficult to manage. Unless every single rule and guideline is followed down to the last letter, it can be monumentally difficult to figure out if your claim will be approved or not. Even in scenarios where you can be almost perfectly sure, it can end up that the insurance company has found, or in some cases seemingly manifested, a reason as to why you should not receive your compensation. One hot button issue currently is Marijuana Usage. Learn about denied accidental death claims
Illegal Substance Use?
In most cases, Marijuana Usage is still considered to be an Illegal Substance. The usage of Marijuana means that it would be filed under an illegal act, and would already be considered to be breaking the stipulations set forth by the insurance company. It is under the same categories as Cocaine, LSD, and other such drugs.
With that being said, Marijuana Reformation has been making sweeping rounds in almost every state. Some states have completely decriminalized Marijuana use even at a recreational level, which would put it at the same level as alcohol and Nicotine, as with Cigarette usage. Depending on the state and area where the initial policy was instituted at, the denial of claim based on substance usage may be inaccurate, and challenged at a legal level.
What can be done?
To have a denial based directly on evidence of marijuana usage can be extremely upsetting. Since it is not seen as illegal, even in states where it still legally is, it has been a hot button topic. As such, there are a few steps that can easily be taken when dealing with such denials of the claim.
One major step is to research the laws and stipulations in place in the primary state. Now, this does not mean the state where the policy holder currently lives. It is instead referring to the state where the policy was originally put into place. For instance, if the policy holder lived in Colorado, but had the policy activated and maintained in Missouri, there is a fair chance that the insurance company will go off of the Missouri laws instead of the Colorado laws.
Make sure to have a full copy of the policy on hand at all times. Making sure that you know the ins and outs of the policy ensures that you will have a good grasp of the basic concepts and clauses in the policy. It also means no one will be able to spring any unfortunate surprises on you, as you will know exactly what they are talking about, or have a pretty good idea.
The final action to take is to have an experienced life insurance lawyer or attorney handle your case. Having someone that goes over policies for a living, as well as trying to protect the client, will ensure that you have a strong safety net in place for when the insurance company attempts to fight back against your denial of the denial. Here at our offices, we have plenty of experienced attorneys, both online and in person, that will be willing to help you fight for your case, as we understand that the last thing you want to do after a relative’s death is to fight in legal battles alone.