Accidental death, as it applies to life insurance, is death caused by accident. Most accidental death policies exclude accidental death caused by suicide, injury incurred while committing a felony, acts of war, or illegal drug use. They also generally will not pay the death benefit if the accident resulted from a mental of physical illness.
Agency Owner, The Thomas G Sheehan Agency, 27 Glen Road Sandy Hook, CT 06482
For life insurance, accidental death would be the result of anything sudden and unexpected that caused the death of the insured. An automobile accident is an example as well as a plane crash. Certainly a death caused by the accidental discharge of a firearm would be considered as accidental. That would be contrasted with a death by suicide which would not only not be considered accidental, but woudl be a reason for the isuring company to deny paying the proceeds of the policy. A death caused by a genuine accidental overdose or unknowingly combining of medications that together can cause harm could certainly be an example of accidental death as well .
Senior Commercial and Annuity Specialist, Freedom Brokers, Marion, Carbondale, Harrisburg IL
Two words often used in the insurance industry are "sudden" AND "accidental".
Sudden: Filing a death claim because of a long term illness would not be sudden. A heart attack is sudden, but typically not caused from an accident, so only fulfills one half of the requirement.
Accidental: Did you plan it? If you planned something, it is not considered accidental. People often plan suicides. They leave notes. No accident there.
Sudden AND Accidental: A piano falling on your head would usually be considered sudden and accidental, as gravity is swift, and few people plan on falling pianos.
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Sudden: Filing a death claim because of a long term illness would not be sudden. A heart attack is sudden, but typically not caused from an accident, so only fulfills one half of the requirement.
Accidental: Did you plan it? If you planned something, it is not considered accidental. People often plan suicides. They leave notes. No accident there.
Sudden AND Accidental: A piano falling on your head would usually be considered sudden and accidental, as gravity is swift, and few people plan on falling pianos.