Life Insurance If my husband died in a car accident in which he was driving under the influence of alcohol, could my life insurance company refuse to pay me? By Penny Gusner Penny Gusner Penny is an expert on insurance procedures, rates, policies and claims. She has extensive knowledge of all major insurance lines -- auto, homeowners, life and health insurance. She has been answering consumers’ questions as an analyst for more than 15 years and has been featured in numerous major media outlets, including the Washington Post and Kiplinger’s. | Posted on November 25, 2014 Why you can trust Insure.com Quality Verified At Insure.com, we are committed to providing honest and reliable information so that you can make the best financial decisions for you and your family. All of our content is written and reviewed by industry professionals and insurance experts. We maintain strict editorial independence from insurance companies to maintain our editorial integrity, so our recommendations are unbiased and are based on a comprehensive list of criteria. A standard life insurance policy typically covers any cause of death, excluding a suicide within two years of the policy’s issue date. However, driving under the influence of alcohol could affect a claim under and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) policy. Accidental death insurance, as well as long term and short term disability policies, normally have an exclusion that states that an injury or death “resulting from a motor vehicle accident caused by operating the vehicle while you are under the influence of alcohol is not covered.” Penny GusnerContributor . .Penny is an expert on insurance procedures, rates, policies and claims. She has extensive knowledge of all major insurance lines -- auto, homeowners, life and health insurance. She has been answering consumers’ questions as an analyst for more than 15 years and has been featured in numerous major media outlets, including the Washington Post and Kiplinger’s. Related Articles What happens to the cash value of my whole life insurance policy when I die? By Nupur Gambhir What is guaranteed cash value in a life insurance policy? By Laine Adley Can I withdraw money from my term life insurance? By Nupur Gambhir Do life insurance policies pay out if a person dies of old age? By Les Masterson Can you cash in a paid up life insurance policy? By Les Masterson How to forfeit life insurance proceeds? By Susan Manning