From co-blogger Bob V:
"When Beau Heimer crashed his dirt bike while drunk, incurring nearly $200,000 in medical costs, his insurance company denied benefits ... U.S. District Judge Janet Neff said those key words - "illegal use of alcohol" - didn't absolve Companion Life Insurance Co. of responsibility for the medical bills."
Read the whole thing (it's pretty short and to the point), and then I have a question:
"When Beau Heimer crashed his dirt bike while drunk, incurring nearly $200,000 in medical costs, his insurance company denied benefits ... U.S. District Judge Janet Neff said those key words - "illegal use of alcohol" - didn't absolve Companion Life Insurance Co. of responsibility for the medical bills."
Read the whole thing (it's pretty short and to the point), and then I have a question:
Related: About 20 or so years ago I had a similar situation with a client. Small group health plan with $15,000 life and AD&D ("Accidental Death and Dismemberment);" the idea was that the death benefit doubled if one died from an accident (as opposed to illness). One of the employees, a young man (of course), decided to play chicken with a Ford Explorer (he was riding a motorcycle).
To my surprise, they actually care-flighted him to the hospital (to no avail, of course).
We submitted the death claim, which was approved for the underlying amount, but the AD&D portion were denied because the wording (more explicit than was the case here) said no "double indemnity" if alcohol was involved.
I had a few questions about that wording, too, but never had the opportunity to raise them.