Fortunately, I've never run into this with any of my clients. But I can not think of any reason that a life insurance policy would refuse payment for death in a hunting accident. There is no question on the application asking about hunting as an avocation, and if the death was truly accidental, the policy should pay out.
Licensed Insurance Agent, HealthMarkets, Norwood, MA
Here is a question on one of my carriers life insurance applications: "Have you ever participated in, or within the next two years do you intend to participate in, hang-gliding, sky diving, parachuting, ultralight flying, vehicle racing, scuba diving, mountain or rock climbing, rodeos, competitive skiing or snowboarding, extreme sports or other hazardous activities?" So I would ask if at the time you purchased the policy had you ever hunted? If the answer is "no" then I would say you should be fine. People can only answer these questions honestly at the present time. It's always best to check with the carrier though if you have any concerns. Be safe!
Insurance Adviser - Broker, SC Insurance Services, Oahu, Hawaii
If you have a life insurance policy in force and you answered all the questions on the application honestly and then you die in a hunting accident, yes the insurance provider will pay your beneficiary the benefit amount. I haven't seen a question on an application specifically about hunting or fishing... So if you answered all the questions honestly when applying for your insurance they will pay for any cause of death except suicide within 2 years of the policy.
That is a great question! I have no reason to believe that the insurance company wouldn't pay out, unless they believed there were some reason reason to believe that there was some untruthfulness involved. For example - you take the policy out in May, and have a "hunting accident" while hunting alone here in June. There is a very strong possibility that they will consider this suspicious, and if it is determined that the accident was actually a suicide, you could expect that it would not be paid. If the normal clause in the application refering to dangerous hobbies and occupations was merked as "no" by you, and it is determined that your avid lifelong hobby was hunting mountain goats and grizzly bears, I would expect some issues also. But if your demise comes as a result of a misadventure or a companion with less than stellar hunting skills, and it truly is an accident, I would expect that the company would pay as the contract requires. Be safe, and thanks for asking!
One more consideration I have not seen talked about in this forum. Since you have a hunters license, check to see what benefits you have with it. I know that if you have to be flown out of the are you are hunting there are some benefits which will help to pay that expense. There may be an accidental death benefit Life Insurance policy included as well. This would pay regardless of any other Life Insurance policy as this is designed for your specific situation.
Besides getting a Life Insurance, you may want to consider the accidental Life Insurance to increase your coverage especially if you are concerned if you are covered or not. Hope this additional little bit helps.
Business Development Officer, T.D. McNeil Insurance Services, Fresno, California
Life insurance pays off in the event of a death. The questions on the life insurance application are interpreted on their common understanding. This is to make completing the application as easy as possible. I doubt that an insurance company would deny a claim based on the words “hazardous activity.” If the company wished to consider a potential hunting accident there are English words that describe that and I believe most courts would have expected the company to include those words if they wanted to deny a claim on a hunting accident.
Legitimate hunting accidents are undoubtedly covered. However, if the hunting was being done adjacent to a marijuana patch or near a still or other illegal activity the court might deem that hunting wasn’t the true nature of the event and that criminal activity was the cause of the death.
President, The Firm of Steven H. Kobrin, LUTCF, 6-05 Saddle River Rd #103, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410
I actually have a sad story to relate on this topic from my client files.
I’ve had longtime friends as clients. He is an avid hunter.
Of course, he keeps all his weapons under strict lock and key.
Only his wife had access, besides himself.
Unfortunately, she reached a time in life where many things got to her.
She suffered in many ways. It was like, all of a sudden everything piled onto her.
She became very forlorn, and very desperate.
She had no hope.
I guess she looked at that gun cabinet as the one source of relief.
I helped her surviving husband file the claim for the life insurance benefit.
He was so shaken, he couldn’t even fill out the form. I did it for him.
As you can imagine, this was a hugely emotional time.
The claim check was received promptly.
There had been full disclosure on the application, so there were no questions about hidden risks.
Gun use, and hunting in particular, are interesting from a life insurance underwriting plan of you.
I am a strong believer in the right of the citizenry to bear arms. They could be used for self-defense, or they could be used for hunting.
Either way, they do represent an element of risk to mortality. This could stem from a hunting accident. Or it could stem from suicide.
But as long as you go through full disclosure on your application, and you apply with the right company, your beneficiaries should have no problems getting their money.
President, Generational Wealth Management, Newark, DE
Did you die by being mauled by a bear? Falling off of a cliff? Did you slip on the pavement and shoot yourself in the face with your handgun? Or did your mean old stepfather accidentally shoot you with his high powered rifle that's deadly accurate at 300 yards?
I digress. Unless there's suspicious that you might have committed suicide, you have nothing to worry about.
Your key word in your question is "accident". Any type of accidental death is covered by your life insurance policy. Some life insurance policies have a double indemnity clause that pays double the benefit for accidental death. The accident can be hunting, fishing, car wreck, slip and fall or a number of different types of accidents in which one could die. The issues come when an accident appears to be a suicide or homicide. These types of deaths can be investigated by the carrier. You should be safely covered for hunting.
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Besides getting a Life Insurance, you may want to consider the accidental Life Insurance to increase your coverage especially if you are concerned if you are covered or not. Hope this additional little bit helps.
Legitimate hunting accidents are undoubtedly covered. However, if the hunting was being done adjacent to a marijuana patch or near a still or other illegal activity the court might deem that hunting wasn’t the true nature of the event and that criminal activity was the cause of the death.
I’ve had longtime friends as clients. He is an avid hunter.
Of course, he keeps all his weapons under strict lock and key.
Only his wife had access, besides himself.
Unfortunately, she reached a time in life where many things got to her.
She suffered in many ways. It was like, all of a sudden everything piled onto her.
She became very forlorn, and very desperate.
She had no hope.
I guess she looked at that gun cabinet as the one source of relief.
I helped her surviving husband file the claim for the life insurance benefit.
He was so shaken, he couldn’t even fill out the form. I did it for him.
As you can imagine, this was a hugely emotional time.
The claim check was received promptly.
There had been full disclosure on the application, so there were no questions about hidden risks.
Gun use, and hunting in particular, are interesting from a life insurance underwriting plan of you.
I am a strong believer in the right of the citizenry to bear arms. They could be used for self-defense, or they could be used for hunting.
Either way, they do represent an element of risk to mortality. This could stem from a hunting accident. Or it could stem from suicide.
But as long as you go through full disclosure on your application, and you apply with the right company, your beneficiaries should have no problems getting their money.
I digress. Unless there's suspicious that you might have committed suicide, you have nothing to worry about.