AD&D result · October 12, 2026
$105,000 in Denied AD&D Claim Involving Methamphetamine Exclusion
Life Claim represented the widow of a man who died after his vehicle slid off a highway in winter weather. He died of cold exposure, and the medical examiner ruled the death an accident.
Reliance Standard denied the $100,000 accidental death benefit under its drug exclusion, pointing to methamphetamine in a postmortem blood sample.
We appealed. Our toxicology team worked through the medical and laboratory records and found problems with how the insurer was using the test result. We showed that the evidence did not prove the exclusion applied, and that the insurer had not met its burden under Utah law.
Reliance Standard reversed its denial and paid the full benefit plus Utah statutory interest, a total of more than $105,000.
Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
