Do people often ask about whether a heart attack is considered an accidental death? These questions usually come up with policies such as accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) and accident policies – all of which may pay a death benefit, but only if the cause of death was an accident. Having explained how those options work, it is only natural that some people have questions about whether a heart attack is considered accidental? Defining what accidental death is and is not. It’s not always easy to figure out the solution. Let me first explain what an accidental death means.
What Is An Accidental Death?
A death caused by an unintentional injury is accidental death. Intentional, self-inflicted injuries may not be an unexpected death, nor would deaths caused by disease, old age, or other natural causes. Let’s start by going over some common accidental death examples to understand an accidental death better.
Accidental Death Examples
Almost every day, we hear about examples of accidental deaths. There are many different types of unintentional deaths caused by accidental injuries every day, ranging from people shot to fatal traffic accidents. An important factor determining whether a death is accidental or not is whether some unintentional injury caused it. Here are some examples of deaths caused by unintentional injuries:
- Poisoning
- Auto accidents
- Falls
- Murder (or Homicide)
- Suffocation
- Drowning
- Fire or burns
- Pedestrian deaths
- Adverse effects to medication
- Other land transportation
- Other unspecified accidents
Can Accidental Life Insurance Cover Heart Attacks?
A heart attack is not under accidental death insurance. The unexpected death life insurance covers death resulting from an accident (for example, a car accident or a plane accident). A heart attack is a health-related death, not an accident. As such, accidental life insurance won’t cover it.
Do Life Insurance Policies Cover Heart Attacks?
You would be covered for heart attacks if you honestly answered the questionnaire and passed the medical exams (for medically underwritten life insurance). If you provide false answers on the questionnaire and have a heart attack history, they will reject your claim. As long as you answer all the questions correctly, you can find different types of life insurance (such as no medical life insurance or traditional rated life insurance) regardless of your heart attack history. When you have heart issues, an insurance company will want to know how long it’s been since your condition has stabilized.
Following a Heart Attack, Which Types Of Life Insurance Are Available To Me?
The answer depends on the severity of your previous heart issues, how long ago the last issue was, and the stability of your current heart health. If you can genuinely answer “no” to the heart-related questions in a simplified life insurance questionnaire, or if the questionnaire does not include any heart-related questions, you may qualify for simplified life insurance. You can also qualify for traditional life insurance under medical reasons in some circumstances (e.g., if you’re in a stable condition and had a heart attack)— it is the type of insurance for rated traditional life insurance (or rated standard life insurance). If you are uncertain about the answer to a question, ask the insurance company for clarification and get a written response.
